Chased by Destiny
by Why so Sirius1236
Summary: Did I love Loki? How could I love someone that I was supposed to hate? He was selfish, evil, and slightly deranged, but did that give me an excuse not to love him? Loki/OC pre-avengers/ avengers WRITTEN BEFORE MOVIE CAME OUT
1. Chapter 1

I made my way out to the desert. With my long reddish-brown hair pulled back in a French braid and my crystal blue eyes safely concealed behind sunglasses, I was ready for a day in the intense heat of the desert. I didn't mind. I loved the thrill of new discoveries and just being on my own in the wilderness.

"Veronica," I heard someone call out my name and I stopped to turn around. I scanned the block for anyone I knew, straightening the weight distribution of my backpack from my lower back to higher up on my shoulders. No one.

I continued to walk past the last of the stores in the tiny town. I sighed. Just last year my research team had left for bigger and better things. Jane had been the last to go. She hadn't wanted to leave in case Thor came back, but Eric had urged her to move on and accept the fact that Thor was gone. Even Jane, the woman who never took no for an answer, who would work through the night on mind-boggling figures and equations, needed to move on.

About three months ago, she had left too. When a position had opened up at Harvard, I had urged her to take it. There was something different about her when she left. A little bit of her spirit was gone forever. That was when I realized that she, like the others, had gotten tired of the frivolous search for Thor after his sudden disappearance. I couldn't blame them. I would have left too if I had had anywhere else to go.

"Veronica," I heard my name again. I stopped, not turning around this time, and simply looked over my shoulder. It didn't sound like a person yelling, simply a male voice saying my name. Again there was no one around or close enough for me to hear them. "You're in danger…" I heard it say. I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized who the voice belonged to.

"Thor?" I asked out loud. "Where are you?"

"I am in my realm. Listen I need to talk to you. I have reason to believe that my brother isn't dead. I fought him and ended up destroying the bridge back to your world in the process. That's why I never returned. Loki fell, but I think he survived… and has landed in your world. You must warn the others."

"Is there any way you could get back?" I asked talking out loud again. Was I going crazy? Well, Jane had never let that thought stop her and now she was at Harvard researching the latest and greatest in astrophysics.

"The Gatekeeper is working on it as we speak. He was able to channel enough of my thoughts to make it so that I could contact you. I'm just glad I wasn't too late. I'm not am I?"

"Nope. We're all alive down here." I heard a sigh of relief.

"Good. I am pleased that my brother hasn't tried to harm any of you. Can you make your way over to the last site you saw me leave earth at?"

"Umm, sure, but why-"

"Just trust me. I think I may be able to make it back if I have another life force at the other end of the passage."

I made my way to the site Thor had indicated. Sure enough, the circle that had been there a year ago was still there, unblemished by the elements. I paced around it, waiting for him to respond. After three solid minutes, he did.

"Ok, now can you stand in the center of the symbol?" I took a deep breath and slung my backpack down before moving to the center of the circle.

"I'm not going to be electrocuted or anything am I?" I asked, only slightly joking. I heard him laugh.

"No, I don't think so. It may feel a little uncomfortable, though."

Before I could react, I felt a surge rush through my body. It started at my feet, and then traveled to the top of my head. I looked up, hoping to see his familiar grin come hurtling from the sky. But, to my disappointment, I saw nothing. Then, I collapsed as the surge ended. I crumpled to the ground, the hot sand burning my cheek as my face landed in it.

I lay there for what felt like hours, but what I soon learned to be minutes. When I opened my eyes, Thor was standing over me, checking my pulse. "Thor!" I exclaimed, trying to sit up. He pushed me gently back down.

"Easy, easy," he said. "You've been through a lot in the past five minutes. Your body needs to recuperate."

"Recuperate?" was all I could manage. Right, massive energy moving through my body.

"Lay back," he said, taking his long sleeve linen shirt off and tucking it under my head. His white undershirt reflected the sun rather uncomfortably, but I was grateful for the pillow.

"Where'd you get the clothes?" I muttered, remembering the armor I had last seen him in.

He didn't answer, or if he did I didn't hear him as I drifted back into unconsciousness.

When I opened my eyes I was back at my apartment. I rolled over in my bed and glanced at the clock on my bedside table. It read 11: 48 pm.

Last I had known, it was around three in the afternoon. I slung the covers off and swung my long legs over the side of my bed. I reached down for my sneakers and pulled them on. I grabbed a hoodie from a hanger, and then shakily made my way out the door and down the hallway.

Thor was sitting at the little wooden table I ate my meals at. He beamed at me when he saw I was awake. "You don't know how much I've missed this place," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," I said, moving towards the refrigerator. He laughed.

"That's typical for someone in your position."

I looked at him curiously." What do you mean?"

"You've changed. Your body is like mine and my people now. You possess a part of my powers."

I looked at him blankly. How in hell was that possible? "What?"

"If you wanted to, you could travel across dimensions without blowing up, live like an immortal."

"Yeah, I got that part. But... how?" I asked.

He looked off a bit. "Think of it as all the chemical bonds in your body as being strengthened ten-fold. You remember that surge of energy you felt before you collapsed, right?"

I nodded.

"That surge of raw power moved through each cell, each DNA molecule in your body and strengthened them."

"Then why do I feel so weak?" I asked.

"It's like when you work out for an extended period of time. Your body feels sore and weak before you see the end results. You just had the most physical and mental workout of your life. Trust me. You'll be feeling better in no time."

"Right. Okay. And this happened just because I stood in the center of that circle and opened up a way for you to return? Why on earth would you pick me?" It made no sense. I had always been strong for a girl, but I had never had the build of Sif. At five feet nine inches I had been taller than Jane or Darcy, but I didn't have the confidence that Jane had had. In as few words as possible, I was the least obvious choice for Thor to pick as a human to channel his powers.

"My father feels that I will need some assistance. Assistance which only a native of Earth can offer. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three wouldn't have been able to help me. I needed one of you. Where is everyone else?" he asked.

"Well," I said, scratching my head awkwardly, Eric went on to some secret government project team. Jane's at Harvard studying astrophysics in more depth. She's been published already for her work." I pulled out a copy of Jane's latest brainchild and handed it to Thor. He looked at it and smiled.

"I taught her that," he murmured as he pointed to a diagram of stars outlined in the shape of a tree. I smiled too. "What about Darcy?"

"She's gone into politics, working with campaigns for senators and governors."

"Wow… It appears everyone has moved on…"

"Everyone except for me," I said. "Pathetic, I know."

"That's not how I see it. I wouldn't be here if you had left town like the others."

"So what's all this about Loki?" I asked. "You think he survived a fall through space?"

"Yes. And he's more angry and determined to rule than ever before. If I know him, he'll be wanting revenge on me as well. What better way to do that than to take out those of my friends that he can get to easily?"

I nodded, understanding. "And my powers… will they protect me from him?"

"They should. If anything you'll be able to run away if you need to. I just hope that will be enough… I'll need your help, though, like I said before."

"What kind of help?" I asked carefully.

"Help me find him and take him out."

"As in, kill him?" I asked. "Your own brother?"

Thor looked at me with a sad, sober look in his eye. "If that is what I must do to restore peace to this planet and my realm, yes."

"You've certainly matured since you left. But how am I supposed to know who he is? I've never met him before, or seen him for that matter."

"You'll know," Thor replied. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Now you just need to locate him."

"You mean you're not coming?" I asked. "I don't even know what he looks like, Thor! How am I supposed to defend myself?" I fought to keep my voice level.

"Trust your instincts. I'll be in touch. I won't be returning to my realm until I know you, Jane, and the others are safe. I'll be just a… um… what do you call these devices?" he asked pulling a cell phone out of his pocket.

"A cell phone?"

He smiled, pointing at me and grinning stupidly. "Yes, a cell phone call away."

As scared as I was, I couldn't help but laugh at him. He was so child-like when it came to this realm. "What would you have me do?" I asked, defeated.

He got up from his chair and paced the small kitchen area. "My father gave me the coordinates where Loki landed. It's in New –Yo-rk -City," he said the last three words hesitantly, unsure of how to pronounce them. I gawked when I heard the name.

"That's my hometown! I know it better than anyone."

"Excellent. Then you'll need to start there. If you can just locate him, I can handle things from there. He can sense my presence otherwise I would go looking for him myself. But you, someone he's never met before, can find out where he is."

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" I asked.

"Well… as much thought that someone as reckless as I am is capable of," Thor replied. I smiled again at the last comment.

"Fine. I'll help you. I still have an old apartment up there that my parents left me when they died. It's just a matter of getting there."

Thor cocked his head to the left. "Why not teleport?"

"Because I'm…" I trailed off. He had just gotten through telling me about my new powers. " Good point," I replied.

I went back to my bedroom, packed my few belongings into my backpack, then came back out to the kitchen area. I opened up the cabinets and grabbed all the dry food I owned. Cereal, granola bars, trail mix… I hadn't been that healthy of an eater… I filled two canteens with water from the tap, then threw them into the mix. I turned back to Thor.

"I'll accompany you since this is your first time, but then I must get out of the city. Loki will not be expecting me in this realm, but if he senses me at all he will grow suspicious."

"Where will you go?" I asked.

"There is a team of humans that are joining together farther south. They know something big is happening, but they don't know that Loki is the cause of it. They will need my aid. You just focus on finding Loki. Don't make contact, just locate him. Then call me and I will take it from there. You're powers will protect you to an extent, but you aren't invincible. Keep that in mind." Thor put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll be fine. And Veronica?"

"What?"

"Thank you."

I nodded my head. "Sure. It's not just any girl that gets to fight off evil gods of mischief."

"Well, we'd best be off, if you are ready," he said.

"Let's go," I replied

"Take us to New York!" Thor stated. We made our way to the balcony as a beam of light touched down. The gatekeeper had heard him. "Let's go," Thor said, to me this time.

I swallowed and simply nodded. We stepped into the column of light. An unnerving feeling of weightlessness overcame me as I realized we were traveling faster than the speed of light. How was I not dead? Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over, and I was standing next to Thor in Central Park.

"Can you find your way from here?" he asked me. "I really should be going."

"Yes. I'll be alright."

"Well then, thank you for agreeing to help me, Veronica."

I nodded. "Call me! I can't do this alone."

"You have my word," he replied. Four words, so simple. I suddenly felt able to face Loki. I wasn't afraid anymore. What would be, would be. I figured I might as well help while it was in my power. Who knew? Maybe being part god would have its perks.


	2. Chapter 2

After Thor left, I started walking. The time difference between the two states would make it around 3 am in New York. It occurred to me that Central Park was probably not the safest of places to be in the wee hours of the morning, so I made my way to the nearest exit.

Just as the western exit came into view, a tall, imposing figure stepped onto the path ten feet in front of me. I stopped walking, startled, then made a run for the exit. The figure caught me and spun me around to face it.

"And what," a British accent asked, " would a young woman like yourself be doing out here at such a dangerous time of night?"

It was really dark, and I couldn't see the man's face, but I got a weird feeling in my gut that I was in danger. I answered his question with an elbow into his solar plexus. He grunted, letting go and doubling over. As his head went down, I brought my knee up and hit him in the face. He snapped back up and fell backwards onto his arse.

I didn't stop to think. I grabbed the bag I had dropped when he had stopped me and ran for it, sprinting faster than I ever had before. I got out of the park, and quickly hailed a cab. I didn't look back until I was safely seated in the back of the cab. As the car drove away, I turned and looked over my shoulder at the park entrance. A tall man, with dark hair and a pale face, was standing almost exactly where I had been. A trail of blood ran from his nose. I whirled back around, realizing what I had just done.

Thor's powers certainly were something to be happy about. There was no way I could have run as fast as I had or hit as hard if I was at normal strength. Needless to say, I was feeling good about myself. It was easy to see now why Thor had been so arrogant in the beginning. Anyone with that amount of strength would be.

The taxi took me to the apartment building I had spent my high school days in. When I moved out to New Mexico, my parents had remained in it until their untimely deaths in a car accident. Unable to cope with the grief, I returned to New York, briefly, to attend their funeral. Then, I plunged into my research, hoping to ease the pain of loss with the numbing calculations of astrophysics. Jane had been there for me all the way, and so had Darcy. That was when we had become close.

Pulling out of my reverie, I grabbed the cash I had stowed in my backpack and paid the driver. I got out of the cab, and hurried up to the top floor of the apartment building. I slid my hand along the top of the door frame until my fingers grazed a metal key. I grabbed it and unlocked the door.

I went inside and turned on the light. The apartment was far nicer and more spacious than the dung hole I had been in back in New Mexico. I made my way into the kitchen and opened the stainless steel refrigerator. To my surprise, there were a few cans of beer. Wow. I hadn't expected that.

I grabbed a can and opened it. I turned back around and went down the hall that led to the bedrooms. I entered my old bedroom, rolling my eyes at the NSYNC posters I had pretty much worshiped as a teenager. Oh well.

I went straight to bed, peeling off my jeans and slipping under the covers. In the morning I would have to find a job, but I didn't let that bother me. I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.

_I was running -faster than I ever had- down a long corridor. Something was chasing me. What? I wasn't sure. Steady footsteps sounded behind me. It felt like no matter how hard I ran, they got closer, never breaking their pace. The end of the hallway approached and my heart felt like it was going to leap from my chest. I sprinted for the end, but my legs gave out just as I reached the entrance. I fell down, hard. I looked behind me, searching for my pursuer. _

_A tall, pale man with dark hair walked steadily towards me. I automatically recognized him as the man I had seen standing on the side of the road. He reached for me, and I struggled, moving myself away from him by using my elbows to pull me forward, military style. _

"_Why are you running?" I heard his voice ask me. It wasn't concerned, but chillingly evil. I kept going, scared to death to look back at him. "Are you afraid, little girl?" _

_Little girl? I was twenty-five. Why on earth was he calling me that?_

_I felt him sharply grab me by the ankle, and pull me back towards him. When he pulled me from my feet to face him, I barely had time to see his face. My crystal blue eyes met dark blue ones. _

I woke with a start. I lay in bed for a time before looking at my watch. It read eleven a.m. I got out of bed, got dressed with the clothes from my backpack, and made my way down the hall. I had a little bit of cereal in my bag still, as well as a granola bar. I poured myself a glass of water, then chowed down on my breakfast. I looked across the room and out the sliding glass door that led to the balcony.

I needed a job. I wasn't sure what I could do. I had majored in Physics in college, but I didn't think I could find anyone hiring in that arena in New York City. I cupped my chin in my right hand, propping my elbow on the table. I would just have to buckle down and take what I could get.

I went downstairs and bought a newspaper. I sat down and looked through it, scanning the employment opportunities section. There was a waitress opening, which I automatically disregarded. I had heard too many stories about the harassment of waitresses in lower class food industry. Plus there just wasn't something right about an astrophysicist working as a waitress.

I kept searching. Nanny, accountant, secretary, journalist for the National Enquirer, and radio talk show host. Out of all of the options, secretary and accountant sounded the most tolerable. The secretary position was located in an upper class part of town at a law firm, and the accountant position was at some dentist office.

I showered and pulled part of my hair back. I took a deep breath as I entered my parents' room. I needed a business suit. I knew my mother had had several, and I hoped that the clothing would still be there. Sure enough, I opened the closet to find a row of clothing. I walked to the end to find four suit sets. I selected a navy blue one with a white collared shirt to go underneath. It was just my size. Damn. I was one lucky girl.

I got dressed, and made my way to the street below. I got a cab and gave it directions to the law firm. After sitting in twenty minutes of traffic, I made it to the law office. It was a towering skyscraper that jutted into the sky.

I walked into the front lobby and checked in at the front desk. The security guard directed me to the top level of the building, saying that I would interview up there.

I walked into the elevator, and selected floor 25. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the mirror-like door closed and a man appeared in the reflection beside me. The elevator had been empty when I had entered, and no one had followed me in. I looked to my right to face the dark haired man from my dream.

He was dressed in a black business suit, and he was leaning against his side of the elevator with his arms crossed and an interested look in his eye. I looked back to the buttons on my side of the elevator. We were only on floor five. "I see I'm not the only one with special powers," he said quietly. "I was quite taken aback by our little meeting in the park last night." I recognized the chilling voice automatically. My heart beat faster. What was I going to do? He acted like he wanted to continue, but the doors opened and three men in business suits entered the elevator, separating him from me. I breathed out a sigh of relief. No one would dare hurt me in an elevator full of people.

My floor approached just as the elevator stopped at floor 23. The doors opened and the men filed out. The dark-haired man stayed. The doors closed again.

"You may want to watch it around me, though. I can be dangerous, or so I'm told." He cut his eyes over to me. "Tell me, what is your name?"

I cut my eyes back at him. "What business of it is yours?"

He laughed at this. "None at all really, but I will find out eventually." At that, the doors opened at floor twenty five and I walked out. "Be careful, Love," he muttered under his breath. I didn't turn back.

That was the first time I realized that I had caught the attention –I wasn't sure if it was good or bad- of Loki.


	3. Chapter 3

I shook off the uneasy feeling my conversation with Loki had left me with and made my way down the hallway and to the office of Henry and Clark's Law Firm. I needed a job after all and I wasn't going to let Loki mess with me. I would call Thor when I got home and tell him I had found his brother. Then, I would wash my hands of the god of mischief.

My interview didn't last long. From the looks of things, the two newly graduated lawyers were in dire need of office help. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. Even if they hadn't needed help, I'm sure the two men would have hired me anyway judging by the way they gawked at me when I walked in. It had been a while since I had been admired to that extent. Let's face it. There aren't that many people you have the opportunity to meet when all you do is research.

I left the office after the two had told me to start Monday of the following week. I left the office and walked down the hall to the elevator. This time, I made sure no one was anywhere near the entrance before I got on. Loki didn't show. I gave a sigh of relief when the elevator hit the bottom floor. I stepped out into the lobby and made my way to the revolving door at the entrance.

The cool air felt good after being in the interior of the office building. I decided to walk home to save on money since it was such a beautiful day. I pulled my cell phone from my coat pocket and dialed the number Thor had given me.

No one answered. I smiled slightly. He probably couldn't figure out how to answer it. I tried again, hoping he would figure it out. Again, no one answered. After the third try, I started to worry. He had left no other point of contact. And I was alone in New York City with Loki breathing down my neck.

He had told me to "be careful". Was that a threat? Coming from him it had to be. I kept a sharp eye out for any sign of him while I walked home. I didn't see him once. I made it up to my apartment unscathed and made straight for the shower. I needed a clear head and hot water was the only way to get that.

I ate supper around five o'clock, then went to bed at nine. Tomorrow was Saturday and I didn't have any big plans. I figured I would try Thor again in the morning, hoping against hope that he would answer. I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The weekend passed and I woke up Monday morning to get ready for my new job. I showered and dressed. Pulling my hair into a low bun with a side part, I grabbed the last granola bar I had and headed out the door.

At the office, I was shown to my desk. I had computer access, a phone, and other common utilities. I thanked the first lawyer, Mr. Clark, for showing me to my desk.

"Oh, sure. Don't mention it," he said. "I'm just glad to have you. You have no idea the hell we've been through trying to get this office going."

"I can imagine," I said, giving him a smile and understanding nod. He finally left me alone, walking to the office he shared with Mr. Henry behind mine. I was situated out front, so I had a view of the elevator.

I picked up the phone and tried Thor again. No luck.

_Thor, where are you?_

I didn't know what to do, and did my best to suppress the growing panic that was rising up inside me. I got up from my desk and walked down the hall, then back to my desk again, trying to shake off the stress. "Cell phone call my ass," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" I turned on my heel and nearly fell over dead when I saw who was coming out of the office behind me. Loki made his way over to me. "It's not polite to curse, Love."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, ignoring that last jab.

"I am one of these gentlemen's clients," he replied sweeping his hand to indicate my bosses' offices. "So, I take it you got the job you were here for the other day?"

"How did you-"

"I know many things. But what I don't understand is how a human such as yourself came across the power that you now possess."

I just looked at him. He was smarter than his brother, I'd give him that. He knew how to manipulate people into getting what he wanted. But, then again, so did I. I decided to play dumb.

"Powers? Human? Aren't you human?" I asked as innocently as I could. I fought to keep the calm composure that my fear was threatening to tear to shreds.

He smirked at me, lightly snorting under his breath. " Don't be stupid, girl. It can get you in a position you really don't want to be in." He leaned over the desk that I had edged behind, breaking the barrier between him and me. "And-"

"Mr. Johnson?" Clark asked when he walked out of the back office just as Loki's face came dangerously close to mine. "Is everything alright?"

Loki straightened up, shifting into a completely different person. He smiled. "Of course, Mr. Clark. I'll be back in tomorrow morning for those files you said you'd have ready."

Mr. Clark looked at him for a minute. "Ok, then. Drive safely, sir."

Loki nodded, then turned on his heel to walk over to the elevator. I watched him go. He pressed the button, then turned around to face me while he waited for the doors to open. I ignored him though I could feel his eyes on my face.

* * *

><p>"Here you go," Mr. Clark said as he plopped a stack of documents onto my desk. " I need you to photo copy these for me."<p>

I took the documents up in my arms. "Yes sir," I replied. I made my way down the hall to the employee lounge. Past two rather ugly looking couches and coffee table sat a huge photocopier. I looked at the first document. Some lady was wanting a divorce from her husband. I rolled my eyes, then set the document in the tray.

I looked at the rest of the documents. The last one caught my attention. A Mr. Aaron Johnson was wanting to purchase a home a few miles west of New York. Hadn't Clark called Loki Mr. Johnson? Well, it made sense. The name Loki probably didn't go over very well in New York City. Well, now I knew to avoid Mr. Johnson at all costs.

I finished the photo copying and took it back to Clark and Henry.

* * *

><p>Days turned into weeks and I had still not been able to contact Thor. I hoped nothing had happened to him, but I was also worried about something happening to me. Every Monday, Loki would come in to check on the progress of his contract and other documents. Most days I was able to avoid him, but not all days. When I did see him, he winked at me and shot me that annoying smirk.<p>

What was even more annoying was the fact that, despite myself, I liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

What was wrong with me? I knew what Loki was. I knew that he was evil. But the more I interacted with him, the more I was attracted to him. I kept telling myself to snap out of it. I was an independent woman after all, and I had never let any man stand in my way of anything. But Loki wasn't just any man…

I stood up, pulling myself from the sea of thoughts that threatened to drown me. I grabbed my purse and walked down the hall to punch out for the day. Mr. Clark was sitting on one of the hideous couches reading a book. He looked up when I walked in.

"Hey!" he said, standing up when he saw me.

I smiled demurely. "Hi."

I made my way over to the time clock. He stood up and followed me, leaning against the table next to me. "So… were you thinking about going to the Gala Ball coming up?"

I nearly froze when he asked me this. I remembered reading something about the party on the employee bulletin board a couple days ago, but I hadn't thought about going. I had been way to busy worrying about Loki and Thor's all too obvious absence.

"Um… honestly? No."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Well, would you consider going with me? It would be kind of sad for a guy like me to show up alone." He let loose a nervous laugh and straightened his glasses.

I turned to look him in the eye. Well, I could use a little fun…

"Um, sure," I stated with a small smile. "That would be fun."

"Really? Great! Then I'll pick you up at seven next Saturday." He gave me a boyish grin.

"Sounds good." I smiled again. He walked off with a new spring in his step. I felt like I was in high school again, dealing with boys that wanted to take me to Prom. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought of dress shopping.

* * *

><p>The night of the ball was fast approaching and I still didn't have a dress. The Friday before the party I went home and dropped of my stuff after work. Then I changed into jeans and a t-shirt. With my new job, I had been able to afford newer clothes and better food, but there was something comforting about wearing an old long-sleeved t-shirt and faded blue jeans. I pulled on a hoodie and slung my phone, wallet, and I.D. into my old bag.<p>

I went downstairs and hailed a cab. After hours of shopping, I made my selection. It was a low cut, form-fitting, gown made of black satin. A small train trailed from the back of the empire-waist. Better yet, it was on sale.

I made my purchase and went home. I was still worried about a bunch of things, but I tried to focus on the idea of a party.

The following night, Clark picked me up at seven. We made our way to his car; a silver Porsche. He opened the door for me and walked around to the other side and got in. The Gala Ball was to take place on one of the lower levels of the office building. We drove for twenty minutes before we made it to the office. We got out of his car and walked inside. He flashed his badge to the security guard and we made our way to the elevator.

"Thanks for coming with me, Veronica. It means a lot. You look very nice tonight, by the way."

"Thank you," I replied. The party was very crowded. The people there were from every law firm in town. Clients and lawyers alike.

The band started and Clark asked me to dance. We walked out to the center of the dance floor. A slow waltz began. Halfway through the dance, Clark spun me and the entrance came into view. I nearly stopped in mid-step when I saw a familiar, dark head come gliding through the entrance.

* * *

><p>Loki made his way through the crowd. He nodded charmingly to certain people he obviously knew. What fools. No one knew the danger they were in.<p>

"I didn't realize Mr. Johnson would be here," I said quietly.

"Ah good. He made it!" Clark said. "I got him a ticket since he has been such a loyal customer the past few weeks."

I forced a smile. " Well then, I'm glad he could make it," i said through gritted teeth.

Clark continued to prattle on about law school and his new office. I found myself spacing out during most of the conversation. Loki had disappeared as quickly as he had appeared despite my attempts to pinpoint him in the crowd. I kept watch over Clark's shoulder as the dance picked up. Until a chilling voice broke me from my search.

"May I cut in?" Loki asked.

I sucked in a breath. "Mr. Johnson!" Clark exclaimed. "How wonderful to see you here tonight, sir."

"And you, my good man," Loki responded, patting Clark on the back. I wanted to throw up.

Clark handed me over to Loki. "I'll be around. I'm just going to talk to a few colleagues," Clark told me.

At Loki's touch, I looked up into his face. A tango had just begun.

"You know," he said to me. "I never really got your name."

"Well, that's a shame. Because I know all about you, Loki."

At the mention of his real name, Loki looked me straight in the eye. "How do you know me?"

I smiled charmingly. "I know many things," I said, repeating what he had told me weeks ago in the office. He broke my gaze for a minute, looking around as if to figure out what to do. Instead, he pulled me closer to him with perfect timing to the beat of the tango. My chest crushed against his. "And my name is Veronica," I whispered into his ear. He tilted his chin up and looked down at me. A small smirk played around his lips.

"Alright then, Veronica. Are you going to tell me how you got those powers?"

"I wasn't planning on it. But you could tell me what you are planning. Tell me, how did you come to this realm? If you're as powerful as you claim to be, why would you let me continue to roam free when you knew about my powers?"

He looked out over my head at the crowd of people. His eyes shifted from left to right as he spoke. "Because you interest me." He brought his eyes back down to mine when he said this. " All these humans here go along with whatever I say. If my charm doesn't work, then my magic does. But with you, nothing works. And then I keep remembering our little tussle in the park the first night you came here. How you knocked me, a god, on my back without even trying. It's very… refreshing, if you will, to find a human that is as… intricate and utterly immune to my powers as you are."

I looked out at the crowd when he said this. "What are you planning, Loki? I happen to know that you can't reach Asgard anymore-"

"See? You're so calculating, so much more intelligent than these bimbos. You know what you want and you go for it. I respect that, Veronica. I respect that very much."

I looked back at him. The tango had picked up in rhythm so we were moving slightly quicker and with more jerks than before. I could feel a desire growing in my stomach. A desire for him to kiss me. He was so close…

No. I had a job to do. If Thor was hurt or dead, it would be my job to stop Loki. I knew what Loki was. An evil, selfish, conniving little worm… who just so happened to be incredibly handsome, smart, and interested in me. God, why did being human have to be so hard!

"I need some air." I said as I pulled from his grasp. I could still feel his eyes on my back as I made my way through the crowded dance floor and out to one of the balconies.


	5. Chapter 5

The cool air felt good after being in the crowded party. I walked over to the railing and propped my elbows on the stone. I looked down at the traffic. The road wasn't as crowded as it had been when Clark and I had driven here. I looked out at the horizon. The lights here were too bright to see the stars. I missed New Mexico.

I felt over heated. Part of me wanted to throw up. I had just been dancing with Thor's, and most likely humanity's, sworn enemy. What would Thor say if he ever found out about me letting Loki get that close? But then again, Thor hadn't been here for me either.

The whole situation was infuriating. Thor had given me part of his powers for a reason: to locate Loki. Oh. I had done that all right. But with Thor beyond my communication I was stuck to deal with the god of mischief and the mixed feelings he was putting me through. I buried my face in my hands.

I looked up a few minutes later, then back out at the horizon. Thunder clouds loomed, making the night sky look slightly milky. Lightning flashed far off.

I looked over at the tops of the buildings just under the encroaching storm. A lightning rod jutted into the air on the top of one that was at my level. Hmm. An idea popped into my head.

Thor had given me part of his powers, and he was the god of thunder. Maybe…

I focused on the lightning rod and waited on the lightning to flash again. When it did, I took my hand from the balcony and quickly, but subtly, waved it from the point the lightning had flashed at to the lightning rod. To my excitement, I watched as the lightning jumped from the sky to the rod. There was no way that had been a coincidence. The lightning rod was located a greater distance than lightning could travel from the site of the storm. I smiled at my new found power.

The exhilaration of being able to move lightning pulled me from my distracted state. I pulled in a deep breath, straightened my gown, and turned on my heel to go back inside.

Clark had been looking for me. "There you are," he said when he spotted me in the crowd. He waved me over. I slipped through the crowd towards him. Loki was standing there talking to him and another lawyer.

"Are you feeling better, Veronica?" Loki asked me. A funny look was in his eye. He knew he had been the cause of my distress.

"I am. Thank you, Mr. Johnson." I gave him a charming smile, one he returned with that annoying smirk that made me want to slap him and kiss him all at the same time.

The rest of the party passed without incidence. Loki left early, and I was able to relax a little bit. Clark and I left at midnight. We made our way to his car, and he drove me home.

I went to bed that night with the sinking feeling that dealing with Loki was going to get much, much harder.

* * *

><p><em>I was running again. Running down a long, dark corridor. I could see the light at the end of the hall: my escape. I could hear Loki's steady footsteps behind me. <em>

_ "You can't keep running from me for long, Veronica," I heard him say quietly. _

_ Maybe he was right, but I could sure as hell try. I felt his presence grow closer and closer. I kept running. _

_ Just as I was about to reach the door, I felt a hand like an iron vice grip my wrist. No! I struggled, trying to pull the same maneuver I had on him in the park, but he was ready for it this time. He pinned my wrist behind my back, twisting it at a painful angle. _

_ "Stop struggling," he whispered in my ear. The brush of his breath against my neck raised goose bumps on my arms and I tried to suppress a shudder. _

_ He spun me around to face him. He gave me one of those annoying smirks before he brought his lips to mine._

I woke up with a start. I sat up and rubbed my face in my hands, then looked over at my alarm clock. It read 3:30 a.m. I lay back down, throwing an arm over my eyes. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep. Not after that dream.

I slung the covers off and reached down to pull on my sneakers. I grabbed my leather jacket from the hook on the back of my door, and made my way downstairs. I needed to think, and the only way for me to get that dream out of my head was to go for a walk.

Looking back on it, it was probably very stupid of me to go for a walk in the middle of the night. At the time, I was too caught up in my thoughts for my own good.

I walked down the street, and took a right at the end of the block.

"Hey, Baby. How you doin?" I heard a slurred voice yell out to me from across the street. I kept my head down and kept moving. "Aww. You don't have to be like that, now." I rounded another corner and saw that two men stood in the path ahead. If only they knew who they were dealing with.

I kept walking, not breaking my pace. I would let them have their chance to back off. If they came at me, I planned on showing them just what I was capable of.

One of them stepped in front of me just as I was about to pass the men. " Where do you think you're goin, Baby?"

"Well, I thought I was going that way," I said as I pointed in front of me. "But it looks like I'm going to have kick your ass first if you don't back off."

The man threw his head back and laughed. A group was starting to form around me. I needed to act and soon. The man made to grab for me, but I dodged his hand and brought my fist to his nose. He flew back a few feet.

By now, there were at least five or six men surrounding me. I recognized the one that had called to me from across the street as one of the last to show up. Two came at me and I dodged a baseball bat that one swung at me. I kicked one to the ground, then stepped to the side as the bat came down at me again. When the bat was at its lowest point in the swing, I grabbed the man's wrist and took the end of the baseball bat. I twisted up and heard a pop as the man's wrist overextended backwards. Needless to say he let go of the bat.

Brilliant. Now I had a weapon. But more men had surrounded me and I wasn't sure how long I could keep this up. I took out two more, but I brought the baseball bat down a little too hard on a fire hydrant when I missed one of my attackers. Water burst from the hydrant, making a steady stream onto the pavement.

I looked down briefly, noticing that the bat was now broken in half.

"Shit," I muttered. The last of my attackers had pulled a gun and was taking aim at me. Then, before I could do anything else, the stream of water running from the hydrant turned to a block of ice and was propelled by some unseen force at my attacker. Both the man and the gun went hurtling in opposite directions before the man hit a brick wall and slid down it, unconscious.

Then I heard the familiar, chilling voice. "Didn't I tell you it was impolite to curse, Love?"


	6. Chapter 6

I turned around to see a very different Loki than the one I had been dealing with. His pale skin had turned blue and his eyes glowed red. Then, before my eyes, he faded back into his original form.

I stared at him, startled by the almost halloweenish transformation. "What are you doing here, Loki?"

He smirked at me. "A simple thank you would suffice." I rolled my eyes. Did he deserve my thanks? Yes. Was I going to let him know that's what I thought? Absolutely not.

I turned on my heel and tried to make my way back to my apartment. The initial adrenaline rush was fading now, and I felt extremely woozy. I staggered a little. "Oh. Come now. I just saved your life. You would think that would be enough to cut me a little slack."

I stopped, then turned around. He was following me, and came right up to me as I faced him. I pressed my lips together and crossed my arms. Was that a smirk playing around his lips?"I had it under control."

"Oh yes. The fact that you had no weapon and a gun in your face really shows that you had everything, as you put it, 'under control'" he replied smoothly.

"You don't know me!" I said. "Why on earth would someone like you take the time to save someone like me? Look. I know who you are. I know all about your little problems back home. Why can't you just stay out of mine!" At that, I swayed, coming dangerously close to falling over.

I probably would have if he hadn't caught me.

He steadied me by grabbing my shoulder and holding me up. "Let me take you home. You're in no position to be walking around at 4:00 in the morning."

Before I had time to argue, he was walking, pulling me along and supporting most of my weight with his right arm. I didn't want him knowing where I lived, but it looked like I didn't have a choice. I did my best to keep my composure as I was dragged along like a life size ragdoll.

"It's just up there," I said, pointing to my apartment. He nodded, for once not having anything to say.

He helped me up the stairs, and watched as I unlocked my door. I opened it, then turned to him. "Thank you."

"Now was that so hard?"

I rolled my eyes and made to walk through the doorway. When I went to shut the door, he asked, "What, are you not going to invite me in?"

I smirked. "Goodnight, Loki."

I shut the door in his face.

I made my way to the bed and fell down onto it. I hadn't been this bad off since the unpleasant aftermath of my first (and last might I add) college keg party. Only alcohol didn't have anything to do with this. I felt drunk, but I wasn't.

I lay there for a time, just staring at the ceiling and willing the ceiling fan (that wasn't on) to stop spinning. The night's events played out in my mind.

I saw Loki, a blue, red-eyed creature, standing on the side of the road in New York City. Had he really been blue? Or was I imagining it. I was feeling really bad and hallucinations were a possibility…

I didn't feel better the next day, and had to call in sick to work on Monday. By Tuesday, I had resolved to go to the doctor. I gathered the strength I had and made my way to a taxi.

The doctor told me I had the flu. It made sense. I had been working none stop since first coming here in a very public law office. The doctor told me to rest up, take the week off, and go back to work the following Monday. He also told me that there was a great possibility that anyone else I had associated with probably had gotten it as well.

I went home and rested up. Why on earth had Thor's powers not given me a super immune system to go with my new body? It seemed like the flu was just affecting my body more. And if you think I'm exaggerating you obviously had not been in the same room with me when I sneezed.

I got better and returned to work the following Monday. I went into the lounge to punch in to find an extremely sick-looking Clark.

"How's it going?" he asked me. I could tell by his voice that he was congested.

"You tell me," I said. "You look awful."

"I feel pretty awful too," he replied. "Henry called me this morning to tell me he was sick and not coming in. We had some pretty important stuff to get done today, so I was hoping I could make it til lunch at least."

I looked at him. "Maybe you should just go home for the day. I can handle anyone that comes in. I know where all the paperwork is and stuff."

He looked at me, considering my proposal.

"Maybe you're right," he said, scratching his head. He sneezed and nearly passed out from the exertion.

"Go home, Clark. Get some rest. I'll hold down the fort."

"Thanks, Veronica." He got up, swaying slightly. I remembered that feeling. I helped him to the elevator. "Just remember Mrs. Baker will be in before lunch to pick up her final documents on the divorce, and Mr. Johnson will be in to sign off on some contracting forms around two."

"Everything's taken care of." I pushed the twinge I felt about seeing Loki from my mind. "Now get some rest," I said. God, I sounded like my mother.

After Clark left, I went and sat down at my desk. I had a lot of paperwork I needed to catch up on and spent most of the morning doing that. Mrs. Baker came by around ten.

After lunch, I heard the familiar ding of the elevator doors. I knew exactly who it was before I looked up. I heard footsteps come towards me and stop right in front of my desk. I finished what I was writing, then looked up.

"Hello, Loki," I said, meeting his eyes.

He nodded to me, "Veronica. Just the person I wanted to see."

"I've got the papers you needed just over here," I said, ignoring his last comment and walking over to a file cabinet by a huge window.

"So you're feeling better?" To my disdain, he side-stepped my desk and followed me.

"Yes. But unfortunately Clark and Henry aren't. Now they have the flu. I guess I gave it to them. "

"Too bad," he murmured. "I figured you had just gotten sick after what happened. I suppose you really aren't as powerful as I thought..."

I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Beg pardon?"

"I'm just saying that a true god wouldn't have gotten sick with the flu." He paused for a moment, walking towards me. Then, more quietly,"I'm going to ask you again where you got those powers."

I glared at him, then turned back on course for the file cabinet. I opened the top drawer and pulled a stack of contracting forms from the back of it. When I turned around, he was right there. Our toes were practically touching. I inhaled sharply, catching a subtle whiff of cologne. He placed his hands on either side of me, forcing me back against the cool glass of the window.

"I really don't want to hurt you, Veronica. You're far too pretty to hurt, but like I said, playing stupid can lead to dangerous situations."

I looked into his blue green eyes. There wasn't a trace of hesitation. He was on a mission. "Why does it matter to you?" I gasped.

He smirked. "I'm planning something," he said quietly, dangerously. "Something that will affect this entire miserable excuse of a race that call themselves human. I need to know if you're a threat or," he paused, pressing his body against mine,"an ally." he whispered the last part in my ear and I shivered.

"Let me get this straight," I said, trying in vain to ignore the weight of his body against mine. "You want me to help you destroy my own race? Never."

He didn't say a word as he brought his hand to my cheek. His face was void of expression, but there was something stirring deep in his eyes. "Yes, you will. It's your destiny."

"Get away from off me." Only part of me wanted him to pull away. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind at once: Loki was evil. Loki only did what was best for Loki. Loki had tried to kill Thor. Loki was planning something against humanity. Loki hated humans. Loki had his hands on me…

I didn't care anymore. The desire that had been building up between the two of us since the moment we met was suddenly threatening to burst forth and consume us.

He brought his lips down to mine, right there in the office. I stood there, frozen. My next reaction was to pull away and slap him across the face. His face turned to the side from the force of the slap, and blood rose in his pale cheek where I had struck him. But then I was kissing him and all coherent thought melted away.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So, what do yall think? Lemme know! I love reviews and am open to criticism. :) This is my first story ever and I am trying to keep the plot going as smoothly as I can. Thanks! **


	7. Chapter 7

As Loki's passion grew, the temperature of the room dropped severely. His lips, warm against mine at first, grew cold and his hands turned icy.

I pulled away first, gasping for air. He merely moved to my neck, leaving a trail of cold kisses down my throat. I closed my eyes.

"Loki," I said. "Stop." Being his usual self, he didn't listen. He continued to do exactly what he wanted to do. "Loki." God, I didn't want him to stop. But my conscience weighed heavy in my mind.

I took my hand and pressed it gently against his sternum. I flinched as the sinewy muscle tensed at my touch. Then, with all my strength, I pushed him away from me.

He didn't fall as far back as a normal person would under that amount of force, but it was enough to get him off of me. I looked into his face and saw the same blue tinted skin I had seen a week ago. "What are you?" I asked.

He looked down at his hand, holding it up as if to get a better view of it. Then he looked at me.  
>"Does that bother you?"<p>

It didn't, but I knew it wasn't natural. I shook my head.

"Well, isn't that strange. You are looking at something my people consider to be an abomination." He chuckled, but it wasn't happy. "You never cease to amaze me, Veronica. You are so unlike anyone- god or human- that I have ever met." He came closer, brushing the back of his hand against my cheek.  
>"And that is saying something seeing as I have been alive for a thousand years."<p>

I looked into his face. I could just make out several faint scars over his left brow and cheek. It also looked like there were a few along the right side of his jaw. I could tell that his physical appearance wasn't the only thing that was scarred. He was hurt, angry, and alone. Plenty of reasons to be upset, really, but not enough to make me join him.

"I want you by my side, Veronica. Together we can take over this world. Make it our own. Make it stronger. Better."

"Better for everyone? Or for you."

He didn't answer.

"That's what I thought. My answer is still no." I bent down to pick up the papers I dropped.

Then, out of nowhere, I was slammed against the wall. I tried to blink the stars out of my eyes as a cold hand shot to my throat. "If you are not with me, you are an enemy," Loki quietly said. "Keep that in mind."

I looked around the room for something, anything that I could use to defend myself. I tried to pry his hand off, but it was too strong.I was physically impaired by Loki's hand at my throat, but not mentally. My right calf brushed against something on the wall. I glanced down, realizing it was an electrical socket.

Electricity! I kept calm and remembered the process I had used to move the lightning the night of the ball.

I looked back at Loki, then focused all my thoughts on channeling electricity towards his form. I felt a current form around my right hand, coagulating in a ball around the tips of my fingers.

Without moving my hand from my side, I flicked my hand towards Loki's torso. The ball of energy hit him and he went flying. I slid back down the wall and I realized that he had been holding me up against it three feet in the air. He fell back against my desk with great force.

He sat up, a knowing smirk playing around his lips. "Ahh. I see. It seems my dear brother has more than one mortal whore. I never thought the Mighty Thor would give his powers to a mere mortal. You must be very special indeed."

I gave him a dirty look. "What are you talking about?" How dare he talk about Jane or me like that. Besides, though Thor and I had been close, it was more a brother-sister kind of love than what Thor and Jane shared. _Had shared…_ I corrected myself.

His smirk gave way to a look of anger, which he quickly covered up. I could tell he was struggling to keep his voice steady, to not let me see what he was really feeling. "That woman who turned him so soft. Now, what was her name? Dear me, I cannot remember. What was it? Jamie? No…"

"Her name's Jane," I said coldly, growing tired of his arrogance. Of course he knew her name. He was just trying to piss me off. And it worked. "And she is not a whore."

"Yes. Jane," he said, ignoring my last comment.

"And Thor is going to stop you. If he doesn't, I will."

His nostrils flared at the mention of his brother and there was a funny look in his eye. "Don't worry. You will come around." He stood up, straightening the lapels of his coat. He took the papers from my hand, uncapped a pen, then signed them in a flowing script. "It is only a matter of time. And I can be very, very patient, Veronica." He tilted his head back slightly, exuding his usual sense of arrogance. He cupped my chin in his hand, which had grown warmer now, and leaned in and planted one last taunting kiss on the corner of my mouth, then he was gone.

"Who's worrying?" I asked to the empty room.

I crossed my arms and walked back to my desk. I opened my purse and pulled out a small mirror. I rolled my eyes when I saw my ruffled reflection. I smoothed my hair, grimacing at a bruise that was beginning to form around my throat from where Loki had choked me. I snapped the compact shut and slipped it back into my bag.

He had kissed me. I had let that selfish bastard kiss me. Only afterwards did I find it appalling, disgusting even. _But you didn't think that at the time…_ my conscience protested. I buried my face in my hands, something I had taken to doing quite regularly since meeting Loki.

I needed to get away from him, but I didn't know how. Thor was gone. I had given up on him weeks ago as far as the cell phone situation was concerned. I had decided I could wait the situation out, outlast the storm, so to speak, hoping Thor would magically return.

If my attraction to Loki had been one-sided, I would have been able to ignore my feelings, get the job done. But by letting me know that he felt at least some attraction to me- as much as someone like him could possess for another person- he had gained a lot of leverage over me.

"Gah." I let out an irritated sigh as I pushed the rolling chair I was sitting in away from my desk and got up. I put the pens and papers that Loki had bumped into back in place. There, now he had never been there. I grabbed my bag, punched out, and left for the day.

I went back to my apartment. As I neared the top of the stairs I could see a piece of cream colored paper taped to my door. I went up to it and ripped it off.

_We know what we are, but not what we may be._

I recognized the flowing script immediately. Loki had been here.

And he was quoting Hamlet?

Well, I guess even the god of mischief had to enjoy the classics. But the words chilled me. Was he insinuating that I was going to change my mind eventually? It seemed like he had made that point pretty clear at the office. But that was all I could make of the rather random note on my front door.

It occurred to me that he was also showing me that he remembered where I lived. I crumpled up the paper and threw it in the waste basket.

I went to bed early that night. I was exhausted from the stress of the day and couldn't focus on anything I tried to read. I even got so desperate as to turn on the small T.V. in my living room, but I couldn't focus on any of the shows. I flipped to the news, but all it was talking about was some political bill in the senate. I hated politics, so I had turned the T.V. off and gone to bed at 8 p.m.

I sank into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, I got up and went to shower. My stomach lurched when I saw the same piece of paper that had been on my door yesterday. It was crumpled, but someone had smoothed it back out. It was folded in half so the quote was on the outside and a corner was wedged behind the mirror at my eye level.

With trembling hands, I pulled it down and unfolded it. My heart leaped into my throat when I saw what was on the inside.

* * *

><p><strong>So, yeah. That's another chapter. Let me know what you think please! <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

My eyes were frozen to the paper in my hand.

On the paper was the perfect rendition of me sleeping, drawn out in charcoal. If it hadn't been so unnerving, I would have admired the quality of the art.

Loki had been here, in my room while I slept.

I laid the paper back down on the counter by the sink. I continued to stare at it for a few seconds. I showered and dressed quickly. I didn't have any appetite whatsoever, but I forced myself to sip on a cup of coffee.

I grabbed my purse then went to work.

Henry was back today, and I was grateful for the work he gave me. It was monotonous and methodical. Exactly what I needed to get my mind off Loki.

I couldn't escape the eerie feeling that I was being watched. I kept a sharp eye out for Loki. Every time I rounded a corner I was sure I would see him standing there leaning against a wall with that careless smirk on his face. But I never saw him. Instead my nerves escalated to an entirely new level. I jumped at anything unexpected.

I opened up the pack of paperwork Henry had asked me to work on. I plunged myself into the work, glad to have something to do.

Henry plopped another document onto my desk and I jumped three feet in my seat.

"Are you okay, Veronica? You seem pretty tense." He was still recovering from the flu and his voice was hoarse.

I looked up from my work. Tense was an understatement. I had to look a mess. "I'm fine," I lied. My voice cracked.

Henry looked at me, obviously concerned. Then he went back into his office. I looked back down at the papers on my desk. I focused on certain letters of the words on the paper.

I counted twenty a's, 10 y's, and six f's. I stopped when I started counting L's.

I tapped my pen on my desk. The clock on the wall in front of me ticked seconds away, then minutes.

"Hey, uh, Veronica," I heard Henry call from his office.

He poked his head out the door as I turned to get up. "Mr. Johnson came by to sign those forms yesterday, didn't he?"

"Um, yeah," I said. I looked back around to my desk and grabbed the forms he had signed yesterday. The sight of his handwriting brought back memories of his body against mine, of cold kisses…

I shook myself out of my thoughts and took the papers into Henry.

He looked at them for a second. "Did you say he did come by to sign them?"

"Yes," I said. "He came by at the time he said he would."

"Well, there's nothing here," Henry said, holding the papers up so I could see them.

Sure enough, the signature that had been there just minutes before was gone, clean off the paper. I wanted to spit fire. Loki had been here too. Just seconds ago. There had definitely been a signature there when I had picked the papers off of my desk.

"It's okay," Henry said setting the papers down in a basket on his desk. "He must have forgotten to sign it. I'll just fax it to him."

The day passed and I left the office. I entered the elevator and selected the bottom level. As the door's closed, I felt a cold breeze brush past me.

"I know you're here, Loki." I said to the empty elevator. Was that a chuckle I heard?

He materialized behind me. He came up behind me, just close enough for me to feel his presence.

"That wasn't funny what you pulled back there," I said.

"I found it quite entertaining," he replied smoothly.

I turned to face him, formulating some witty remark to say, but he was gone.

I turned back around, fuming as the doors opened and a few people filed into the elevator.

The doors opened to the lobby a few minutes later and I walked straight outside.

I pulled my coat more tightly around myself. The seasons were changing and winter was on its way. A few snowflakes fell from the gray sky as I made my way to a cab. At least that was something to be excited about. I hadn't seen snow since I was a teenager. The desert hadn't exactly provided a supportive climate for snow.

I got in the cab and asked the driver to take me to the grocery store. I was absolutely positive that Loki wasn't anywhere near me, and I was finally able to relax. I stretched my legs out in the cab.

The cab driver made to let me out at the nearest Walmart. I rolled my eyes. I _hated_ Walmart. It was too big and too noisy. I slipped back into the cab. "Is there somewhere smaller?" I asked. I knew there was a smaller local store further down the road, but I didn't want to seem too pushy. I got back into the cab and gave the driver the address.

He nodded gruffly, changed gears, and the cab was off again. I paid the driver and got out. I straightened my skirt and went inside. My heels clicked along the tiled floors.

The girl at the counter couldn't have been much older than sixteen. Her blond hair was pulled back in a careless bun and she was reading a brightly colored magazine. "Hello," she said to me, chewing on bright pink bubble gum.

I smiled. "Hi." Typical teenager. I had never been like that. I had never been boy crazy or immature. It was like at the age of ten I had turned into a miniature adult.

The store was deserted and I made my way towards the pharmaceutical section. My little encounter with Loki had left me with a sore back from where he had slammed me against the wall and I needed Ibuprofen.

I walked down the aisle, searching for Ibuprofen. The bell on the front door rang as it opened and closed. I didn't pay much attention to it until I heard the girl let out a small squeal.

My ears pricked up and I made my way down the aisle. Slowly, quietly. I brought my head around the end of the aisle. There were two men at the counter with covered faces and knives.

"Just give us the money, hun, and no one gets hurt," I heard an extremely gruff voice growl. When the girl refused, the other man struck her across the face. Tears streamed down her face. Oh. To hell with it.

"Hey boys," I said, stepping from the aisle. "Is that anyway to treat a lady?"

"You stay outa this, sweetheart," the one on the right said to me. I smirked.

The two turned back to the register. "Now," the other one said to the girl. "I'm gonna ask you one more time, sweetie. Open the godda-" his sentence was cut off by my kick to his back. He flew over the counter, landing behind it unconscious.

His companion turned to me, swinging the knife at my face. I brought my arm up and blocked the blow. I grabbed the man's wrist and brought my hand down in a karate chop onto his knife hand. The knife clamored to the floor. I caught the man in a headlock.

"If I were you I'd take your buddy and leave before I have this nice young lady here call the cops," I said to him. I let the man go, slinging him towards the door. He roused his companion and both left, scared to say a word.

I looked down at the knives on the floor. Those could be useful. I picked them up and slipped them into my purse.

"Wait!" said the girl who had recovered from the shock of the robbery. I stopped in my tracks on my way out the door. "Thank you." She said it quietly.

I looked over my shoulder. "Don't mention it."

I walked out the door, completely forgetting about the Ibuprofen I was there for.

"Look at Little Veronica, all grown up and out on her own." I stopped walking at the sound of Loki's voice and turned to see him. "I can't say I am surprised," he said pulling himself from his leaning position against the store's brick wall.

"I'm not in the mood, Loki," I said.

"You certainly are scary when you are mad. I feel slightly guilty about sending those men into that store. They didn't know what they were dealing with. They had to be twice your size. I had no idea you would injure them to that extent."

I gave him a dirty look. "They could have killed that girl."

He shrugged, obviously not bothered by the idea. "You forget who you are dealing with. I had to get you attention somehow. Speaking of which, I forgot to ask, did you like my note?" he asked me. My thoughts flashed to the drawing of me asleep and the quote from Hamlet. I looked at him.

"You have real talent," I said, not giving away any feelings about what he had left me this morning.

He smirked, seeing through my attempt at masking my emotions. "Why thank you," he said.

I kept walking, knowing he would follow me, looking for a cab. Snowflakes began to fall in denser sheets.

"Winter is coming, Veronica," he said quite suddenly. "I intend to launch my plan when the last snow falls."

I turned to him. "What are you, some Disney character?" I asked. It honestly sounded like something from one of the Disney movies I had grown up with as a child.

He smirked again. "You will join me eventually, Veronica. You know that."

"Yeah. All that crap about me 'knowing not what I may be' pretty much summed that up," I said, repeating the last of the quote he had left me.

"Just wait. You will see."

At that point I had gotten a cab to stop. Loki opened the door for me before I could reach for it.

I got in. "Be careful, Love," he said to me as he shut the door. Then he disappeared as the cab drove away.

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><p><strong>Please, please, please tell me what ya think! Thanks!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Before I forget I just wanted to say that I own nothing related to Thor or the Avengers. **

**I'm about to get into some Avenger plot line! Please,please, please, give me some feedback about what you think! What follows is what I'm imagining the movie to be like with my OC entered into the plot line. Let me know if you have any tips for characterization! Thanks and enjoy!**

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><p>I sat back in the seat of the cab, crossing my arms over my chest. For twenty minutes I sat there, staring out at the traffic crawling by in the streets. It was rush hour, after all and I counted myself lucky to even have a cab.<p>

After taking twice as long as usual to get back to my apartment, I paid the driver and made my way up the stairs. There was no note on my door tonight, I realized with a sigh of relief. I unlocked the door and made my way inside.

Tonight was a beer night.

I walked over to the refrigerator, slinging my bag down on the dining room table on my way. I pulled the stainless steel door of the refrigerator open and grabbed the last can of beer on the shelf. Well, at least I wouldn't get drunk, I reasoned, looking sadly at the last can.

_And no one will be inclined to join me. _My thoughts switched to Loki for the briefest moment.

I opened the tab and took a long gulp. It relaxed me enough to the point where I could actually sit on my couch without jumping at the sound of someone moving around in the apartment above me.

Then someone knocked on my door.

I got up slowly and made my way to the front door. It couldn't be Loki. He would have just appeared if he had wanted to talk to me. No. This was someone else.

I looked through the peep hole as another knock, more insistent this time, sounded on the door.

A black man in a black leather jacket stood outside. An eye patch covered his left eye, but the good eye had a determined look in it. I unlocked the door, leaving the chain in incase he tried to push his way in. I prayed this wasn't another god, but then I remembered that the Bifrost was closed. Thor's return had been mere luck.

"Can I help you?" I asked, peaking through the six inch opening.

The man's voice was incredibly deep. "Yes," he said, flashing a badge. "My name is Nick Fury. I work with S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sure you're not familiar with-"

"Oh, I'm familiar with it, alright," I said cutting him off. I remembered all too well the fact that they had stolen most of our research back in New Mexico. "Sorry, but I don't have any research for you to take today."

"That's not why I'm here," he said, maintaining that same level composure. "We are looking for a very dangerous being and we're hoping you can help us bring him in.

Something in my gut told me it was Loki.

"We?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Who's we?"

" Myself and certain forces of S.H.I.E.L.D"

"That's not enough information for me," I said, closing the door a little bit more.

"I'm going to need you to come with us, Miss Parker," he said. I started at my last name. I hadn't been called by that since I came here. So I guessed this guy really was on business.

I undid the chain on the door and opened it slowly. "What's in it for me?"

"I'm just going to need your full cooperation for twenty-four hours," he told me.

I looked at him, studying his face. I nodded. "But no one comes in my house," I said defiantly.

"Done," he said.

"Just give me a sec," I said. I shut the door and went into my bedroom. I changed out of my work clothes and into a pair of jeans and a black sweater. I grabbed my older bag and stuffed a few necessities into it. My black leather jacket hung from the hook of my door. I slipped it on over my sweater. It was snowing after all and I didn't want to be too cold. The jacket was made of soft leather, and really felt more like cloth. It was the warmest coat I had. The hem fell to the middle of my thigh. I slipped one knife in each of the two inside pockets of the coat.

I worried about what S.H.I.E.L.D wanted. Something told me that they had found out my connection to Loki and wanted me to help them stop him. Because that had worked out so well for me the first time around. Not only had I made a mess of things, but I had somehow fallen for the very man I was supposed to hate. Despite his arrogance and lies, I saw a truth to him that had penetrated deep into my soul.

As much as I hated to admit it, I would have given a lot to be his queen. To be by his side forever. He could see it in me. He knew I had the potential to be evil. Like him … But I couldn't allow him to destroy the world. To enslave humanity while I looked on.

I really didn't have anything left to lose. This was my last chance to set things right again. I slung my bag over my shoulder and went back out to my front door. I turned to lock the door and Fury escorted me to a large black hummer that was parked on the curb.

_That's not conspicuous at all_.

I got in the back seat and Fury slipped in beside me.

"I do have a job, you know," I said to him.

"It's been taken care of."

"Taken care of?"

"Yes. As of tomorrow morning you have officially quit Henry and Clark's Law Firm. "

I gaped at him in horror. "Why?"

"You are needed elsewhere, Miss Parker," he replied simply. "Somewhere that I can assure you will pay you twice as much money as you earned working as a secretary."

I couldn't believe my ears. There really was no going back. "What happened to twenty-four hours of cooperation?"

"If you choose not to help us, we will send you back and your employment will be reinstated. We have a lot of influence, Miss Parker. But, I wonder, why would someone like you want to go back to work as a secretary?"

"Hey. It's money," I said seriously.

We rode along in silence for a period of time. The hummer pulled up to a skyscraper even taller than the one I had been working in at the law office.

"If you'll follow me," Fury said.

I undid my seatbelt and opened the heavy door. I hopped down from the hummer, my sneakered feet landing quietly on the sidewalk, and followed Fury inside.

I reached down to the knives in each of the inside pockets of my coat, reassuring myself they were still there.

The next thing I knew, I was being escorted through one of the most high-tech institutions I had seen since college. S.H.I.E.L.D agents were everywhere, typing away on the numerous computer stations. I passed by one and had to do a double-take at what was on the computer.

I saw what looked like the security camera of the grocery store I had been to earlier that day. A closer look revealed me kicking the ass of the second thug and holding him in a headlock. Loki wasn't kidding when he said I was scary when I was mad. But why would SHIELD have a video of me fighting? Another thought occurred to me: Why wouldn't they?

"Miss Parker," Fury's voice called out to me. "If you'd keep up it would be appreciated." He turned and kept walking. I rolled my eyes. He wasn't being polite. At all.

"Now before we debrief you, I want to introduce you to your future colleagues," Fury said to me.

Several hundred feet later, we came to a solid metal wall. There was a small electronic pad on the right side of it. Fury went up to it and placed his thumb on it. The whole thing reminded me of Star Wars.

The wall slid open, revealing another room.

"After you," Fury said.

I walked ahead of him and entered a room full of several people.

Two men stood talking in a corner. Both looked to be in their late twenties to early thirties and had dark hair. They looked like they could be brothers. "Miss Parker," Fury said. "This is Dr. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark." Both men looked up when they heard Fury's voice. Stark's eyes zoned in on me. Both men nodded in my direction by way of greeting. "And over here we have Steve Rogers of the United States Army." Rogers stood up from the chair he was sitting in and we shook hands. When he sat back down the chair groaned from his weight. Well, I wouldn't want to have two hundred pounds of muscle sitting on me either...

Then, another man, large, muscular, and blonde came into the room. I knew that cocky grin anywhere. "And this is-"

"Thor!" I exclaimed, cutting Fury off mid-sentence.

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><p><strong>Reviews are appreciated :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Not a lot of Loki in this chapter, but just bear with me : ) I want to get the stage set for more to come! **

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews. They mean a lot and keep me working on this story. As always, please let me know what you think!**

I practically ran over to Thor as he came in through another door on the far side of the room. He picked me up and swung me around in a bone crushing hug. At least it would have been to a normal person.

I heard Stark snort. "Pul-ease," he said sarcastically, drawing out the word into two syllables.

I ignored him, already putting him on the list of people I probably wouldn't like here. "Where have you been? I tried to call dozens of times. "

He put me down, an annoyed look entering his bright blue eyes. "These people took my… my…"

"Cell phone?" I asked laughing.

"Yes. My cell phone away the moment I set foot on their base in Tennessee. They would not allow me to make contact with anyone."

I looked down. "Same old SHIELD," I said.

Thor nodded. "So. Did you locate Loki?" he asked me lowering his voice.

I sucked in a breath. What could I tell him? That I had found his brother and fallen head over heels for the god of mischief? He didn't seem to notice my hesitation, and I was spared answering his question when Fury spoke up.

"So I take it you two know each other." The question was directed at me. I nodded my head. "So that just leaves Barton. Stark!" Fury barked. "That is not a toy!"

I looked over at Stark who was holding a rather dangerous looking piece of equipment. It resembled a gun, but the end curled out in different directions. To tell the truth, I had no idea what it was.

"Calm down, Chief," he said in his lazy voice. "I'm fixing it." He emphasized the last sentence like he was talking to a five year-old while waving the gun around.

Fury glowered at him. If he had had both eyes it would have been one hell of a death stare. "I told you not to call me that, don't forget who is your superior, son," he shot back.

Stark waved him off. Yup. Definitely on my black list.

Fury went over and took the gun-like object from Stark's hands. "Make yourself useful and go find Barton."

Thor had been watching this affair with a look of utter bewilderment. Rogers had looked up from a book he was reading and was looking on with disgust. Banner seemed to be amused.

Fury turned back to me. "This little task could take him all day seeing as it's something he doesn't want to do," Fury said. "Let's get you to the debriefing room. "

The debriefing room was two levels below the headquarters that Thor had been in. I followed Fury down the hall and into a room with reflective windows. You know, like the ones you only see in detective movies? The lights were dim and I could barely make out a table and chairs. I walked over to them and sat down. Fury turned on a lamp on the table.

That was better.

"So, Miss Parker," he said. "What's your specialty? Judging by the footage we caught of you stopping that robbery you obviously have some skill in the martial arts." I snorted.

"Actually, I don't have any professional training. I figured all that out on my own. I'm a physics major, not a warrior."

"Even better. With training you'll be ten times stronger and faster than you are now. But. Something tells me there's more to you than meets the eye. What is it? Telepathy? Ability to disappear? Super strength?"

I looked down at my hands folded neatly in my lap. Could I trust him?

"And how do you know Thor?"

I looked up, a snap decision taking place in my brain. I decided to trust these guys. "It's all connected really," I began.

"Oh? Then please. Do tell," he said, almost mocking me.

Then I told him about Thor, how I got my powers, coming to New York to work, etcetera. I conveniently "forgot" to mention anything about Loki other than the fact that I had been trying to locate his whereabouts.

When I was done, Fury looked at me, weighing my words and deciding whether or not to believe them. Then he stood up. "Thank you very much, Miss. Parker," he said. "Based on what you've told me you will make a fine addition to our team. With a little training of course."

"Wait. Do I have a say in any of this?"

"Just come to the meeting tomorrow morning. 08:00 hours. Sharp. Don't be late. We'll show you to your quarters for the night."

I stood up, a sinking feeling entered my stomach. I had the feeling I would be here for a while.

My rooms branched off of the main room where I had met the others. It was nice, but it wasn't home. It was also very blue. Everything from floor to ceiling was a shade of dark blue. The bed was made of a dark mahogany wood, but the bedspread was a simple blue cover. The entire outer wall was a glass window, and I could see New York City's skyline.

Fury gave me a few minutes to myself, so I washed my face and brushed my hair out, pulling it back in a pony tail. The bathroom wasn't much better as far as color scheme. Everything was a bright white. The toilet, the shower, everything. It was almost blinding when I turned the light on.

There was a small walk-in closet on the far side of the room. I held my breath, expecting a lime-green closet, but to my pleasant surprise it was a nice, normal mixture of browns and white. Black clothing lined the racks. I had always looked good in black.

I pulled a pair of leggings down as well as a form-fitting short-sleeved shirt. Lining the floorboards were several pairs of boots. I checked each one. Size ten, just my size. Clearly, SHIELD had never meant on letting me go anywhere.

I put the shirt on and stepped into the pants. I slipped the boots on, tucking the form fitting leggings into the boots. The shoes were surprisingly comfortable.

Lastly, I slipped my leather jacket on over the tank top. It all went together perfectly. I pulled the knives out of my pocket and examined them. I hadn't had much time to look at them.

One was a pearl-handled switchblade. I launched the spring and the blade shot out. I set the blade back into place and turned my attention to the other. This one was a boot knife. And, lucky for me, I now had boots to wear it on. I slipped the sheathed blade down inside my right boot, though, so it wouldn't be in plain sight. Its weight against my outer ankle felt reassuring.

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in," I said quietly. Thor stuck his head in.

"You look prepared," he said to me. I smiled at him.

"I feel prepared."

"So you have been roped into this as well, then." It wasn't a question.

I nodded. "But, really. What else was there for me to do?" I asked.

He let out a laugh. "Well, tomorrow we start your training."

"Training?"

"Yes. Fury wants you to be as fit and ready to fight as the rest of us," Thor replied.

I crossed my arms, shaking my head. "I hope he realizes I could take him down in an instant."

Thor smiled again. "He is much stronger than you give him credit for. There is food outside if you want it," he added.

As if on cue my stomach growled.

"Ok."

I followed Thor outside to the common area. Fury had brought in sub sandwiches. A lot of sub sandwiches.

Thor walked over to the table and handed me one, taking three for himself. Rogers had done the same. I looked over at Banner who was sitting in the corner with a huge textbook in his lap, nibbling on a piece of crust. Everyone was sitting in different spots, spread as far away from each other as the room allowed. This was no team. They couldn't stand each other. I went over and sat down at a table next to Thor.

He had already scarfed down a sandwich by the time I reached him. A piece of lettuce was caught in his beard.

My thoughts drifted to Loki. The two brothers were so different. Thor was so caring, so morally centered. Loki was conniving and scheming, not caring who he hurt as long as he got what he wanted. It bothered me that Loki was the one I wanted to talk to right now. What did that say about me?

_We know what we are, but not what we may be. _I could still see his flowing script on cream colored paper. Oh. How I ached for him right now. No. I pulled myself from those thoughts. If I was going to work for SHIELD I was going to have to push all my thoughts about Loki away. Keep my mind on the mission at hand.

I knew exactly why I hadn't said anything about Loki to Fury or Thor. That bothered me even more than wanting to be with him. Why on earth had I chosen him? Out of all the possibilities he had been the one I wanted from the moment I met him.

I looked down at my half-eaten sandwich. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

"Are you going to eat that?" Thor asked me, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked down at the sandwich again, then slid it over to Thor. "I'm pretty tired," I said to Thor. "Long day and all that. I think I'm going to go to bed." I looked over at the clock on the wall. It was only seven p.m.

Thor looked at me. "Ok. Sleep well. You have an even bigger day tomorrow." I forced a smile, pushed my chair in, and made my way down the hall to my room.

I walked into the blue room and made a beeline for my bag. I changed out of my new clothes and pulled on a pair of sweats and t-shirt that I had grabbed before I left home. I grabbed the bag I had slipped my toothbrush, toothpaste, and face soap into, then turned to go to the bathroom.

I stopped dead when I saw another piece of cream colored paper sitting at the foot of the blue bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Hey yall! So very sorry it has taken me so long to update. School can be a real pain when it wants to be. But I'm back and I'm very pleased with this chapter. Please tell me what you think! And as always if you have any suggestions let me know :)**

**Enjoy! **

I walked over to the bed. Slowly, scared to see what it said, I picked the paper up. His smooth script sent waves of desire through me, frightening me at the same time.

_There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so._

Once again, Loki had quoted Hamlet. I flipped the paper over, but nothing was on the other side.

How had Loki penetrated SHIELD headquarters? What with his older brother just feet away? It just didn't make sense. I would have thought this would have been the last place for him to be. I put the paper down on the bedside table. Ok. This was definitely getting creepy.

It was like Loki had heard my thoughts. something he probably could do before now that I thought about it.

The quote was spot on. Actions were actions. Words were words. The difference between the good actions and the bad ones was how a person reacted to them. I'm not saying I agreed with what Loki was saying, but I was able to see why he had put the note there.

I took this as another not so subtle hint that Loki still wanted me. Even after I had come to SHIELD. Or maybe he just wanted the influence I had now.

Either way. He wanted me to know he was still there.

I went to bed with an uneasy feeling in my gut. I figured if I could just get through the night the morning would bring clear answers. I wasn't counting on strange dreams to keep me tossing and turning all night.

_I was running again. Wait. No. this time I was flying. Flying over a large city. Tall buildings reached towards the sky. It didn't register with me to wonder how I was flying. _

_ Below me, not a soul stirred. I could see smoke in the distance, a bright orange at the base of it. _

_ The city was burning! _

_ My altitude decreased rapidly and I found myself in an alley. My breath came in short, uneven gasps. At the mouth of the alley, I could make out a huge figure, huddled against the nasty brick wall. Long, scraggily blond hair fell around its face dejectedly. _

_ It was Thor. As I realized who it was, Thor looked up at me. _

_ "How could you, Veronica? What have you done!" he asked with pain in his voice. His pain became my pain and it got even harder to breathe. "How could you betray your own race! Or me?" _

_ A tear fell from the corner of my left eye. It rolled down my cheek unchecked. I tried to speak, but I couldn't. It was physically impossible. I opened my mouth and nothing came out. _

_ Thor got up and raised his hammer high over his head. Good God! He was coming right for me! I had seen Thor in a rage before, but it had never been directed at me. _

_ I closed my eyes, waiting for impact. _

_ But it never came. I opened one eye to see what was happening. Thor had been frozen on the spot. I heard a small chuckle, one I knew too well. Loki._

_ I saw Loki turn from Thor's frozen form and saunter over to me. He looped an arm around my waste and drew me to him. "Soon," he whispered, his cold breath in my ear. _

I opened my eyes. My heart was going 90 miles an hour and I was covered in a cold sweat. I looked over to the clock on the bedside table. It was five a.m. I sat up in bed and turned on the light.

I had had dreams about Loki before, but none had been this vivid or terrible. I realized I was crying. No tears fell, but small sobs broke from my chest.

In the dream, Thor had said I had betrayed him. In a sense, I had already done that. By not turning Loki in I had jeopardized humanity. But I couldn't bring myself to turn Loki in. Loki knew it too.

I needed to hit something. I figured Stark wouldn't be awake yet, so I would have to settle for a punching bag. Too bad. That would have been a nice first conversation with him. I got up, dressed in what I had found last night, and made my way out to the common area. No one was out there. I could hear loud snoring coming from the hall that led to the others' rooms. I turned right and entered a large gym that I had spotted my first time through. I scanned the long room. Sure enough a punching bag sat in the far left corner, suspended from the ceiling.

I didn't even bother to locate gloves or tape. I plowed right into the bag, imagining it was Loki's face.

Wap Wap. Wap. Wap Wap. I hit it over and over, back fisting and reverse punching the bag in different combinations. By the time I was done, the knuckles of my right hand were cracked and bleeding and my left hand wasn't far behind. The pain took my mind away from Loki.

I looked at myself in the mirror that spanned the entire length of the room. My hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and I had zero make up on. I looked a wreck, but I didn't care. The person that looked back at me was a stranger. My new, more battle appropriate clothes clung to my body in all the right places, accentuating every curve. Well, that was a plus. At least I hadn't gotten stuck with armor like Thor's.

I pulled a stray hair back from my face. I nearly jumped when I heard movement from behind me.

_Please, not here, Loki._

I turned around to face him.

Only it wasn't Loki. A man I hadn't met since coming here was in the doorway. He had what looked like a contractible bow draped over his left shoulder.

"Um. Hi," I said awkwardly. "You must be Barton." I walked over to him, wiping my sweaty hand on my pants and holding it out for him to shake it. We shook hands. " I'm Veronica."

He looked at me stoically. "I know," was all he said. Well, weren't we just a little ray of sunshine.

"Well," I said looking around. "I'm done here so you have the place all to yourself." I looked at my wristwatch. It was six thirty by now and I needed to go shower and get ready for the meeting.

He nodded. I gave him one last charming smile and brushed past him.

Once in my room, I slipped the sweaty clothes from my body and stepped into a hot shower. I turned the water up as hot as I could stand it, letting the warmth ease my tense muscles. After fifteen minutes, I turned the water off and stuck my hand out for a towel. My hand landed on the nearest one on the towel rack and I quickly dried myself off. I wrapped the towel around myself and discarded it when I found a light, silk robe in the back of my closet.

I shrugged into it, sighing at the luxurious feel of it on my skin. I blow dried my long hair, parting it to the side and letting it fall freely down my back.

Not only was I nervous about Loki, but I was absolutely terrified to see the whole Avenger's team together in the same room. In my opinion, they were all testosterone fueled boys with special powers, each one under the impression that they were better than the others.

I rolled my eyes at the thought and turned to go back into the bathroom.

Someone had written something in the fog of one of the mirrors. _BE CAREFUL, LOVE._

Panic rose in my throat, outweighing the anxiety that was already in my gut. "Loki!" I said, fighting against the urge to scream his name in irritation.

A throaty chuckle and a burst of cold air later told me he was in the room with me. I tensed when I felt a cold hand brush my hair over my left shoulder and turn me around to face him.

"You called," he said, a smirk plastered plainly on his face as he cupped my chin in his hand and traced my lower lip with his thumb.

I looked into his eyes, giving him an eat doo doo and die glare.

"Not in the mood for games, are we Veronica?" he asked me.

"Hardly-,"

"Good," he said cutting me off. The hand under my chin slipped to my shoulder, hovering over the hem of the robe. He tugged it down slightly. Enough to expose my collarbone. "Because neither" he brought his lips to the hollow where my neck met my shoulder, "Am I." he planted a kiss there after each word. My eyelids fluttered.

"That's not what I meant," I forced out. "And you know it."

He withdrew, the smirk still there.

"How did you get in here?" I demanded.

"It is just like every other building I have seen on this miserable little planet," he replied. "You humans think you are so safe with your metal detectors and laser security systems, but really, how safe can you be from me?" He continued after a brief pause. I pulled my robe back up on my shoulder. " Humans simply do not understand. They need a leader to unite them. To merge the countless nations and governments into one kingdom. They were made to be ruled… with me as their king."

"Those are the words of a mad man," I said quietly, taking a step back.

"Perhaps," he said smoothly, closing the gap my step in the opposite direction had formed between us. "But I am not mad."

"Loki, please. Let whatever happened between you and your brother go. I have seen him since I came here and I know he regrets what happened in Asgard. Please. You have to give this up before it destroys you… and us," I finished quietly.

"It will not," he said. His voice trembled ever so slightly. If I hadn't been so used to hearing his voice I wouldn't have noticed. He brought a hand to my cheek and I held it there. It was warm.

"I need to go," I said tenderly. I wasn't about to tell him about the meeting, though he probably already knew about it anyway.

Something changed in his eyes. "Yes. Run back to my brother like his lapdog." He was angry and his hand against my cheek grew icy cold before he quickly lowered it to his side.

I looked at him. The comment shouldn't have stung, but it did. "Fine." The best thing to do was to ignore him now, so I turned on my heel and made my way to the closet. I dressed quickly and sat down on the bed to pull my boots on. I slipped my boot knife into my right boot and stood up.

By the time I was finished getting ready he had sauntered out of the bathroom and had made his way to the window. The rising sun cast rays of pink and gold light along the smooth planes of his high cheekbones. His hands were folded behind his back and he was looking off on the distance.

I didn't look his way as I left the room. I shut the door behind me, making sure to hear the satisfying slam behind me that I knew wouldn't escape his notice.

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><p><strong>Oh! and did I mention I love reviews ;) they make my day every time I get to read a new one. Thanks! <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I own nothing but my OC**

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><p>The slamming of the door echoed in my ears. I stalked down the narrow hallway that led to the common area. So Loki was going to get mad at me for trying to help him? Fine. Let him.<p>

I put on a more pleasant face for my teammates, hoping they wouldn't see through the act. I surveyed the room. Thor wasn't anywhere to be seen yet, but Rogers was sitting in one of the chairs at the table, his feet planted firmly on the ground and each hand resting on a knee. No one else had come out yet.

I took in a deep breath. Might as well make nice with Rogers.

I went up to the table and sat down across from him.

"You're up rather early," I mentioned nonchalantly. Smiling inwardly at the irony. I had been up since five and here I was poking fun at him.

He looked at me and cocked his head to the side. "If there's one thing I hate, it's tardiness."

Okay, so he was in the army. I'd have to give him a break. "Oh? Most people just go with sunburns or obnoxious family members."

He smiled. Slightly. The right corner of his mouth slanted upward. "Well, those can be pretty bad too."

I propped my feet up on the chair next to mine. "So how long have you been here?"

He looked at me with that same drill sergeant-like stare. " Three months."

"Wow. That must be awful," I said sincerely. I really didn't want my stay to turn into something that long.

He shrugged. "Well, I have nowhere else to be."

"I hear you there. What's your power?" I asked.

Another stare. " I'm Captain America," he said simply. " Super soldier."

I gawked at him, and that made him let out a laugh. "I've heard about you. But wasn't that project- I mean weren't you developed before and during World War 2?" I had a hard time regarding projects as human beings, so it was easy for me to slip into the scientist I was when talking about them.

He stopped laughing. "Yeah, well. I was developed to fight battles that a normal man couldn't handle. During my time, that was the National Socialists, or as more know them by, the Nazis."

I looked at him, making sure he wasn't shooting me a line. He looked like the perfect school boy, really. With dirty blonde hair parted to the side and a slightly boyish face he was the poster child for someone from the World War Two Era. I could also tell he wasn't joking. "Well, I am honored to meet you. I have heard great things about you. But, if you don't mind my asking, how come you still look like your twenty five?"

I could tell I had struck a nerve, but I waited for him to continue. If we were going to be a team, I was going to have to learn about each and every one of the teammates.

" The main threat to humanity when I was first developed was Red Skull. He wanted supreme power in the form of The Cube. In an effort to destroy the Cube, antimatter as you are more familiar with, I drove the plane that was carrying it into the Arctic Circle. Stopped the explosion, but I went into hibernation in the process. At least that's what I'm told."

I suddenly felt a lot less sorry for myself. The conversation had hit an awkward turn and I wasn't sure what to do.

As if on cue, Banner came in followed by a very, very sleepy looking Stark. Rogers turned to me and rolled his eyes. I could tell he didn't like Tony. At least we were similar in that respect.

Tony lazily propped himself against the kitchen counter that ran along the back of the room. "How's it goin', Team?" he said, yawning openly and pouring himself a cup of coffee. Well, at least he said good morning.

Thor came in next dressed in full armor. Minus the cape anyway. Honestly that thing had always bugged me. He shot me a big, goofy grin and poured himself two cups of coffee. I smiled, remembering the day Jane and I had taken him to the only diner in town back in New Mexico. He had thrown the coffee cup down when he was finished, demanding another. Yep, we had gotten some dirty looks that day. Hopefully he had learned his manners.

I checked my watch. It was now five minutes before the meeting was to start. Just five more minutes of awkwardness.

My thoughts drifted back to Loki, wondering if he was still in my room. I doubted it. Even Loki didn't have the patience to wait there for me to return.

There was a hiss as the doors to the main hallway opened and Fury stepped inside. On his tail was a rather disgruntled looking Agent Coulsen. What! What was he doing here? Seeing him in New Mexico was bad enough. Why had he come here! I got over my momentary horror and turned my attention back to Fury.

"Good morning, Avengers," he addressed the group. Everyone just stared at him. It was quite clear that there was severe tension in the ranks. Or maybe it was just the fact that it was early in the morning.

"As you all know by now," Fury continued, completely unbothered by the lack of enthusiasm in the room, "You are each here for one purpose." He clasped his hands behind his back and moved to the head of the table I was sitting at. "There was an idea that the government came up with long ago to bring together an alliance of remarkable people and train them to work together as a team. So that, when the time came, they could fight the battles that we never could."

Again with the silence. I could swear I could hear crickets chirping.

Fury took in another breath and continued. "That being said, today just may be that day." He moved over to a slit in the floor and pressed a button on the wall next to it. A huge screen rose out of the floor and a projector was lowered from a hole that opened up in the ceiling. Everyone turned to face the screen, some more interested than others. I propped my elbow on the table and leaned the side of my head into my hand.

A picture appeared onscreen of a flaming asteroid hurtling towards Earth. At least I thought it was an asteroid. Another shot revealed the figure of a person within the comet. It looked very similar to the one Jane had taken when Thor had come to Earth the first time. Only something told me this wasn't Thor.

"This shot was taken approximately five months ago in California. As you can see, it is no ordinary asteroid." Thor had moved to sit down next to me now and I could feel him bristle at the picture. He knew who it was just like I did. Fury continued, unaware of Thor's discomfort. He then changed the slide to an ancient looking sketch of a man, tall and dark. I knew exactly who it was and it took every ounce of control not to suck in a breath. Loki.

"This is Loki, God of Mischief. Our intelligence staff has gathered enough information to determine that this man has come to Earth in search of power. He is highly dangerous and highly skilled in the art of magic." I could hear Stark snicker from behind me. "Is something funny, Stark?" Fury inquired.

Tony, who had been lounging up against the back wall, looked up. "Magic? What's next? Does he ride a unicorn?"

Thor looked at Stark with total disdain. "Mr. Stark, if you would be so kind as to contain your immaturity for the time being, we will be moving on," Fury said. "He is also brother to Thor who happens to be sitting in this very room." Everyone turned to Thor in disbelief.

"For God's sakes," Tony began. " You didn't say we were going to be fighting alongside the brother of the enemy." As much as I hated to admit it, I could see where Tony was coming from on this point. But I didn't have any room whatsoever to complain. I was the one that was in love with the enemy. I was just as much a hazard as Thor, if not more.

Thor had stood up at this comment. " Is there a problem with that?" he asked stubbornly, pulling the 'look-at-me-I'm-a-big-strong-warrior' routine. He clenched his fists, unclenched them, then clenched them again.

"Actually, yeah. It kinda is for me. No offense, Mr. Thor, but I don't play well with others. Especially the ones that may turn on me for trying to take out their baby brother." Stark's tone was calm and cool, but there was no mistaking the condescending edge to it.

There's no telling where the argument may have led if Fury hadn't interjected. "Enough," he said sharply. "Thor. Sit down. Stark. I hear another word and I will personally have you locked up on pretense of being an asshole. Oh yes," he said when Stark tried to argue. "I can do that, son." He eyeballed (no pun intended) Stark until the billionaire sat down.

"As I was saying, this man has become quite a threat to SHIELD as well as humans everywhere. He recently attempted a break-in by controlling Dr. Eric Selvic." My ears perked up at the name. Eric? Eric had tried to break into SHIELD? No. Loki had possessed Eric. He must have gotten to him when he was working out in California.

"What was he after?" I heard Rogers ask.

"The cube, Rogers," Fury replied. I could see a look of alarm enter the Captain's eyes when Fury responded.

"Was he successful?" I asked.

"No. He was not." I could hear Roger's exhale in relief. "But we have reason to believe he will try again. He seems hell-bent on gaining power over the human race. And with as much fire power as he has built up, he may just do it. Now, I need you to ask yourselves," he looked at Thor as he said this but I was sure he was talking to both of us, "What are you prepared to do?"

Thor just looked up at him. "Whatever it takes to make this realm safe again. I will not let my broth- Loki- harm this world." His deep voice made it extremely hard not to believe him.

The rest of the meeting passed with introductions following it. Barton had come in late for some reason, and he was introduced as Hawkeye. Dr. Banner was introduced as the Incredible Hulk, and Stark was introduced as Iron Man. I was introduced as Veronica Parker.

Fury told me I needed a code name, but I was hesitant. I wasn't much for the spandex crowd, but I told him I'd think of one.

He also told me my training began directly after lunch. "I'll try to contain my enthusiasm," I said under my breath. Only Thor heard me and he cocked his head, not catching the sarcasm.

"Gentlemen, Miss. Parker, have a good day. Try not to destroy anything during practice," Fury said as he walked out the door. Coulsen trailed close behind him. The doors slid shut with a hiss.

* * *

><p>"You have <em>got<em> to be kidding me," I said as I looked out at the obstacle course Thor had concocted.

Thor looked own at me, a huge grin on his face. "What? It is considered great sport in Asgard."

I looked out at the series of obstacles that I was going to have to pass. First off there was an array of what looked like three foot tree stumps, each positioned five feet apart. I was to jump from each one without falling off. What lay beyond that was a ten-foot tall platform that I would have to climb to the top of by means of a flimsy rope ladder. I could only imagine the other side-which had a wall dropping down from it- would require me to scale down it using a rope.

What lay beyond that, I couldn't tell.

"I don't know, Thor," I said.

He looked at me, considering. "I tell you what," he said. "Just for you, I will take out the scorpions." He smiled, like he had just come up with a solution to the problem. He didn't see my eyes go wide as saucers as he took off sprinting into the course.

This was going to be a long day.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: I own nothing but my OC**

My whole body hurt.

No. To say that was an understatement.

After training, and a particularly bad incident with one of the scorpions Thor had forgotten about, I was left sore and tired. My muscles were pudding, especially my legs.

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling simply because it was too painful to do anything else. It was only five p.m. and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and go to sleep. I made a mental note to think of a way to get Thor back for this.

An hour passed and my stomach rumbled. Blast. I was hungry. That meant I would have to make my way down the hall and out to the common area. That was a really long walk for someone with limbs whose muscles were reduced to gelatin.

I put it off by laying there and thinking about Loki.

He had been gone when I had returned. I wondered where he had gone off to and what trouble he was causing. To my disdain, I found that I missed him. Even if he was mad at me, and I was at him, he was still the only person I could talk to and feel something. Even if it wasn't positive, Loki had always made me _feel._ Something I hadn't allowed myself to do since my parents had died.

I sat up shakily, grimacing as every muscle in my stomach twinged in pain. My arms jerked, shaking under the weight of my body. Finally, I stood up from the bed.

Once I assumed a standing position, it was much easier to get moving. I walked down the hall and found Dr. Banner and Stark sitting at the table.

"Hey, Sunshine," Stark called to me as I made my way across the room. "How'd training go?"

I grabbed a sandwich and grimaced as I sat down in a chair.

"That good, huh?" Stark said, laughing.

Banner got up and poured a huge glass of water. He walked over and handed it to me. "Here. Drink this. It'll flush out the potassium ions that have built up in your muscles."

"Thanks," I said.

Banner nodded and went back to the table where Tony was working on some sort of contraption. It looked like a giant mechanical hand. Then I realized it was part of Tony's Iron Man armor.

"You having trouble?" I asked.

Tony looked up. "Nah. I'm just trying to fix the electrical impulse feed that connects this to my suit." I got up, grimacing at the pain, and walked over to the table. "You probably wouldn't understand it, though," he said as I looked down at it.

"May I?" I asked, holding out my hand. I recognized the wire feed immediately. All that it needed was a swap of the two wires at the entrance.

He handed it to me reluctantly. "Just don't break it," he said under his breath.

"Oh, come one, Tony. Even if she does break it it's not like you can't afford a new one."

Tony couldn't argue. I looked down at the heavy metal. "Hand me those pliers, please," I said, holding my hand out to the two. Tony made to grab them as Banner reached for them. Tony held them out of Banner's reach.

"Oh. No you don't," he said, avoiding Banner's attempts to remove the tool from his hand. I gave him a look that only my mother was capable of. "Alright, Mom," he said, surrendering the pliers to me.

I smiled. "Thank you." A few minutes and a lot of manipulating of machinery later and I had fixed the glove. I handed it back to Stark.

He was clearly impressed. "Damn. You're good," he said with a grin on his face.

"Yeah," Banner chimed in. "You'd been working on that for how long, Tony? An hour and a half?"

Tony cut his eyes at him. "No. it was more like thirty minutes… well… maybe… How'd you know what to do?" he asked, changing the subject.

I laughed. "I'm a Physics major, but my dad really got into mechanics. By the time I was seventeen I could pick an engine apart and put it back together in under an hour."

Tony raised an eyebrow. I smiled. I had impressed him.

"Well, I'm heading to bed, you guys. I'll see you in the morning." I nodded at them and made my way back to my bedroom.

"Drink more water!" Banner ordered. He had obviously noticed that I was still limping.

I didn't turn around but I raised my hand over my head and waved at him with a flick of my wrist, my own little salute.

I had been at SHIELD a total of two weeks and I hadn't seen any sign of Loki. Even the dreams had had stopped coming.

As much as I hated to admit it, I missed him. Dearly. I trained on a daily basis and by the end of the third week I was just as strong as Thor. Those obstacle courses really did pay off.

Thor had also taught me to channel the electricity power I had discovered. I was able to form it with my mind now, manipulating it into shapes other than a ball. As long as I was within a hundred feet of a source, I was very, very powerful.

Week four came and went and there was still no sign of Loki. Maybe he had finally decided to leave me alone. And maybe, now I didn't want him to.

Fury had decided I needed to perfect my fighting technique. He wanted to test me to see if I was ready to join the team as a full-fledged Avenger.

I walked into the gym. I was supposed to be meeting Barton here for the test, but he was nowhere in sight. It was ten p.m. and I was really ready to just go to bed. I rolled my eyes and settled for taping my hands so I could throw a couple punches while I waited on him. I looked at the clock on the wall.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, he showed up. I turned around when I saw him in the mirror at the entrance. I waved and he made his way over to the bag. Well, this was incredibly awkward. We hadn't spoken but maybe ten words total since being here and now Fury was forcing us together. I didn't like the way Barton looked at me. It felt like he knew too much. Too much that I didn't want him to know.

He set his bow down. "You have good form," he said. "But try to aim past the point you are hitting. It will make your blow much more powerful."

I nodded and tried again. This time I hit the bag so hard it swung up and I had to dodge it as it came back down in full swing. I shook my hand out. "That kinda hurt," I said, laughing.

"But look at the end results," he said nodding towards the still swinging bag.

"True. You just have to make sure it doesn't come back to hit you in the face when you aren't looking." I grinned, then stopped short. What if Loki was waiting for the right time to strike? I had already pushed him away. It had to be a matter of time before he came back for me. This was just the calm before the storm. The upward swing before the hit.

Barton had noticed my pause, but he didn't say anything about it. "How about your other skills?"

"Well," I said. I pulled my boot knife from its sheath and flung it at a target. It hit dead center.

"Very good. How about a gun?" I nodded and walked over to the weapons table in the far corner of the room. I pulled a small, black, .22 pistol from the table, loaded the clip, and walked back over to Hawkeye. I aimed at a target formed to look like a man.

Bang. Bang. Bang. I shot several times until the clip was empty, aiming at the crucial areas. Hawkeye went over to examine my work. He nodded. "A little more precision and you'll be right as rain." I nodded.

"So do I pass?" I asked.

"Hmmm," he said, rubbing his chin. "I would say yes. For this part. But I wonder, Miss Parker, how emotionally ready you are for this mission."

I looked at him. What was he saying? Did he know about Loki and me? He couldn't have. He wasn't a psychic. The knowing look he was giving me made me believe otherwise.

I decided to play it cool. "I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't be." But little did I know, that reason was about to become all too prominent.

I left Hawkeye in the training arena, went to my room, and crawled into bed.

_I felt a cold breeze rushing past me. It traveled up the sheets of the bed and hovered over me. I knew who it was before I even opened my eyes. My hand shot under the pillow next to me and retrieved a knife. Quick as a flash, I held it up just as Loki materialized, hovering over me. I placed the blade against his throat._

_ My chest rose and fell quickly. I could see a smirk play at his lips. He was amused. "My Love," he whispered. "I have missed you." _

_ I wanted to scream at him and kiss him all at the same time. His mouth was inches from mine, and his throat pressed against the blade as he lowered his body onto mine. I had missed him too, though I would never admit it in a thousand years. We may have that long. I thought. I was an immortal now, after all. My muscles tensed at his presence, my chest constricting at the pleasure. _

_ He moved his hand to the blade at his throat and took my wrist gingerly, removing the blade from the sensitive skin there. He tried to bring his lips to mine, but I turned away. Instead, I flipped him over on his back, pinning him down this time. The blade went back to his throat. _

_ He smirked. Cold, calculating eyes met my crystal blue ones. _

I sat up in bed. The dreams were back. That meant Loki couldn't be far behind.

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	14. Chapter 14

I got up and paced around the room, trying to calm my racing heart. I wasn't ready. Not in a long shot. If Loki and I came face to face I wouldn't be able to kill him. That was what my job required, but my heart screamed at the thought of hurting him. Why did everything have to be so hard?

I was broken from my reverie to the sound of my pager going off on the bedside table next to me. I reached over and pulled up the message.

_Attention all Avengers: Emergency Meeting in half an hour._

I rolled my eyes. This had better not be Stark's idea of a joke. I washed my face and dressed in my usual training outfit. I had upgraded to a leather number simply because it was sturdier than the stretchy material I had been wearing. Stark had recommended it, and at the time I had agreed with him. But then I remembered who had said it and realized that my safety probably hadn't been on the top of his list of priorities concerning me when he had suggested it. Whatever. I didn't mind.

I pulled my boots on and stuck my knife down into the right one. I had been offered many weapons while here, and I had accepted a few of them, but this knife along with the switchblade kept me tied to the life I had left behind. My newer arsenal was far more impressive.

Strapped to my legs were two silver pistols. I had had another knife installed in the toe of my left boot that would spring out at the push of a button. Put those weapons, numerous other blades stashed here and there all over my person, a rim of black eyeliner around my crystal blue eyes, and my power to control Electricity, and you had BlackLite.

I had come up with the name on my own. Despite the others' attempts to name me themselves, I had picked my own out. I had cut my hair to fall just under my chin, making it easier to keep out of my face when I was fighting. Just short enough to wear down, but just long enough to form a ponytail. I brushed it out and left it down for the meeting in a messy tossle.

I slipped one last knife into my belt and went outside. Something told me Loki had finally represented himself. My dreams had become fairly accurate when it came to his reappearing. I could only hope that this wasn' t that serious. Maybe another failed robbery or something, but nothing too big. _Stop kidding yourself, Veronica. Fury wouldn't call you out of bed for a fricking failed robbery._

When I got outside, Banner and Barton were waiting. Rogers was there too, looking tenser than usual. He had to be worried. He was supposed to be the leader of the team. Thor came out, dressed in full armor. His hammer was clutched in his hand. He was tense too.

Stark followed him. He wasn't his usual self either. What had been an arrogant rich boy was now a stressed older man. Everyone, myself included, was sitting on the edge of their seats. Pale, haggard faces looked around the room, everyone avoiding one another's gaze. Something was rotten in the state of Denmark.

Well crap. I had just quoted Hamlet myself. My thoughts drifted back to Loki. _Loki, what are you up to?_

I could hear Fury before he came into the room. "And get those men out of there!" he yelled down the hall before he sped into the room. That didn't sound good at all.

"Today is the day," he said. "Loki has just penetrated SHIELD headquarters in Berlin. He's after the cube. We don't know how he got in yet, but we sure as hell know why. Now gentlemen-" He was cut off by a voice over the walkie talkie on his belt.

"Sir?" Agent Coulsen's voice was unmistakable.

Fury closed his eye, inhaled a deep breath, and reached down to the walkie talkie. "Yeah?"

"He's- he's got the cube, sir." Silence. "Sir? What do we do now?"

"We get ready." Fury said after a brief pause.

**Okay. I know this is a super short chapter, but this felt like the right place to end it. **

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	15. Chapter 15

I sat in my seat, unable to move as I watched the preparations for battle unfold around me. Fury turned to Rogers, giving him a list of instructions as to what needed to be done and where.

" Parker." I heard someone say my name. "Yo. BlackLite. Get up." I looked up to see Stark standing over me. When had he gotten his armor on?

I blinked several times, then stood up, springing into action. Rogers had turned away from Fury and was now heading back to the glass covered cubby that his new armor was located in. I loaded my pistols along with three extra clips for each of them. I picked up a set of leather cuffs that were reinforced with high tech, ultra-strong fiber. They reached from my elbow to my wrists and served to protect my arms from blows that I blocked.

I shrugged into my leather jacket, letting the hem fall over the pistols strapped to my legs. Loki wanted a fight? Well I'd give him one.

The plan was simple. Let Loki come to us, and we take him out on our home turf. It was rather strange coming from Captain America since he had experience only in foreign lands. I wondered if he had felt as nervous as I did before his first battle. But then again he had been positive about his feelings for the other side going in. I wasn't.

An hour later we were standing around a briefing table that presented a hologram-like map of the United States. With the touch of a button, the picture zoomed into New York.

"Okay," Rogers began. "Loki's forces will probably come at us from the sea. He's coming from Germany so that would be the best route."

"May I make a suggestion?" I interjected. Rogers narrowed his eyes at me, then held out a hand for me to proceed. "This isn't World War Two. This is 2012. With all the new technology out there along with Loki's now enhanced powers, don't you think it is unwise for us to assume anything about what he might do?"

"Yeah. What GreenLite said," Stark agreed, getting my name wrong intentionally. I cut my eyes at him, refraining from correcting him since he was taking up for me.

Rogers looked between the two of us, I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he mulled over what we had said. This wasn't going to be easy. He had been trained as the best soldier of his time. Sadly, countless new strategies had been implemented and perfected while he had been in hibernation.

"Fine," he said after what felt like forever. "What do you propose?"

Stark spoke up. "Ok. We split up. Banner and me take point at the front of the city. Thor and Barton take the Southwest, and you and Veronica take the East. That's where the water is and you can still keep your strategy. We'll all be in touch with these communication devices I cooked up last night. That way, if we're needed in one another's area we can get to each other quickly." He pulled out a handful of tiny ear pieces and set them on the table.

Rogers was clearly impressed. "Hmmm. That just might work."

* * *

><p>Rogers and I were sitting on top of a building, overlooking the town of New York City. "It's quiet," I said. I sounded far younger than I was.<p>

Rogers simply nodded. "The calm before the storm." I inhaled. After confirming that Loki was indeed on his way, the group had split up. It had taken nearly a day for all of this to be confirmed and now, here we were waiting in the dark for something abnormal to happen. My stomach squirmed.

"You alright, Sunshine?" I heard Stark's voice address me through the earpiece I now had in my right ear.

"Coast is clear out here," I said, scanning the perimeter. Nothing strange was in sight. But then I saw something that made my stomach drop to my feet. "Um actually," I said. "Scratch that. The enemy has just arrived."

I looked out at the horizon. In the dark, I could just make out a large, machine like object, hovering over the water and coming straight for the mainland. Two more appeared beside it and it was all I could do not to turn tail and run. I looked over at Steve.

"Stay here," he said. "Lemme know if anything else heads our way." I nodded and he got up and went over to the door that led back down into the building.

I bit my lower lip and pulled my coat more tightly around me. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rocked back and forth. I shivered as the temperature dropped. It was mid-March by now, and the snow had started to melt. It shouldn't have been this cold. Loki had kept his word about attacking when the last snow fell. I should have warned the others. I should have been strong enough to tell Fury.

Good God it was cold. I could see my breath as I exhaled and I couldn't stop shivering. This was the kind of cold that reminded me of…Loki. "Steve?" I said through the communicator in my ear. "You okay?"

My heart dropped as I heard a smooth, British accent answer on the other line. "Steve is unavailable, right now, my dear, but why don't you join me in the lower levels for a little chat anyway."

"Where is he?" I said. "Loki, I swear if you hurt him-"

"You will see him soon enough. He is unharmed… for now. And don't worry about calling for help. I will see to it that your friends are taken care of." As soon as the words were out of his mouth an explosion sounded off in the west. I could see more of the hovercrafts over in that direction. Smoke billowed from the site, and I could see an orange glow form at the explosion site.

Just like my dream…

I was on my feet and through the door within seconds. I snuck down the staircase and followed the increasingly bitter cold draft that would lead me to Loki. With a pistol at the ready, I peered into the room where the draft was coming from.

Loki stood over an unconscious Captain America. How he had knocked out the Captain, I had no idea. Even Thor had had some trouble winning against Rogers in sparring and now here was Thor's little brother who had just defeated Steve in a matter of seconds. This wasn't looking good. At all.

I shrunk back into my hiding place to recalculate my strategy… and nearly jumped when I saw Loki standing right there in front of me. I did a double take. Yep. There was definitely a Loki in the room. But there was also one before my eyes.

"Do you like it?" he asked me quietly. "Sometimes the oldest tricks simply are the best." I looked back at the hologram projection of Loki, understanding immediately.

I turned back to the real Loki. He was so close in the cramped hallway. I could feel his cold breath brush my hair. I shivered as his cold fingers wrapped around my wrist and took the gun away from me. I should have protested, but his touch muddled my thoughts. Had it really been five weeks since I'd seen him? It had felt so much longer.

In one last act of resistance, I slipped a knife from my sleeve and slashed it upward, aiming at his face. He caught it, of course, and pinned my wrist next to my head against the sheetrock wall I was against. "You never learn, do you… my beautiful Veronica?" I was vaguely aware of my knife clamoring to the floor as he brought his lips to mine. It didn't even register with me that somewhere my friends were fighting for their lives or maybe even dead. It didn't register that Rogers was in the other room, barely alive.

All I knew was that Loki was kissing me once again.

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	16. Chapter 16

I wrapped my arms around Loki's neck as he slipped his tongue in my mouth. It wasn't until I heard Steve start to stir in the other room that I pulled away. Loki answered my attempt at resistance by smashing his lips against mine once more. I couldn't let Steve see this. With my hands still at the nape of his neck, I slipped another small blade from the leather cuff of my left wrist. Quick as a whip, I slipped my right hand from behind his head and pressed the cool blade against his icy skin.

I felt him jerk as the blade pricked his skin. Then I felt his lips smile against mine. He kissed me gently one last time and pulled away slowly, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I like the leather," he mumbled, trailing a hand across my stomach. "It suits you."

I still had the blade pressed against his throat. "My offer still stands, Veronica. I am glad I found you before the invasion began."

I met his eyes. Something was off about him. He was slipping. More so than usual. I heard Steve groan again in the other room. "How bad did you hurt him?" I asked, nodding my head in Captain America's direction.

"He will live," Loki replied. I let out a sigh of relief. "Veronica-"

"Let me go," I cut him off. His grip merely tightened.

"You can't fight me," he murmured in my ear.

I pressed the blade deeper into the skin at his throat. "My knife would beg to differ," I said.

"Amusing," he replied. "But I cannot help but notice that _you_ have not denied it."

I glared at him. My fist hit him in the nose before rational thought could stop me. He back up and pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. He straightened up and laughed.

He was actually laughing at me. The trail of blood trickling from his nose only added to the deranged nature of the man in front of me. Then he backhanded me across my right cheek.

My head snapped to the side and I flew back against the wall. I could already feel the skin above my cheekbone swelling up where he had hit me. I blinked stars out of my eyes.

"That's what I was looking for, Love. Anger. Strength. Everything I admire you for." He crouched beside me.

Somewhere along the line he had undone the laces of my right wrist covering. He brought my wrist to his mouth and planted a kiss just over my pulse.

It would have been pleasant if it hadn't burned.

It wasn't the hot kind of burn, but more like what I imagined frost bite would feel like. I pulled my hand back and cradled it against my chest. "What the-"

"Shh," he pressed two fingers to my lips. I knocked his hand away, propped myself up on my elbow, and tried to crawl away from him. A cold hand shot to my throat. He forced me against the wall. "The time is coming, My Love. Be careful." He kissed my forehead and released me, then he was gone.

I sat up, trembling and looked down at my still-burning wrist. What the hell had he done? A blue mark, shaped like the imprint of his lips was burned into my skin.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I laced the cuff back up, wincing at the pain the mark caused when I covered it. I had no choice, though. If Thor- or anyone for that matter- saw it, they would know Loki had given it to me. That I had let him get that close…

I finished tying the covering and got up, running into the room where Steve lay.

"Steve?" I said, slapping his face lightly. "Come on, don't die on me." I checked his pulse. Nothing. My heart sank. What had Loki done?

I began CPR, administering chest compressions. "Come on!" I practically yelled as I bent down to give him a breath. I started compressions again.

"Veronica?" I heard someone say through the ear piece in my ear. It was Stark.

"Stark? Thank God you're alive. Please I need you down here. Now."

He must have caught onto the hysteria in my voice because he was there in a matter of seconds. He saw Steve on the ground. "Move!" he said to me. He started chest compressions.

"It's no use. I've tried that," I said. "Do you have a defibrillator in that suit?" He shook his head.

Time was ticking and I was worried that if we didn't get Steve's heart going again there would be brain damage. Or he just wouldn't wake up. Then an idea hit me.

"Stand Back!" I said. An electrical socket was in the outer wall. It was more than I needed.

I placed my hands on his chest, where typical defibrillator panels would go and channeled the energy into his body.

After a loud "kathunk" and a few seconds later, I could feel a heartbeat. Thank God.

"Well done, NightLight," Stark said, intentionally getting my name wrong again and slapping me on the back. "Let's get him back to headquarters."

"Are the others okay?" I asked.

Stark looked at me. "Well, I don't know about Thor or Hawkeye, but The Hulk is certainly having a good time. When the machines hit he hulked up and took off after them. I let him go because I think he has been wanting to do that for a long time." He grinned at me.

We shared Captain America's weight between the two of us and made our way to the elevator. I grimaced under the amount of weight. "So what happened?" Stark asked, straining under the weight.

"Loki," was all I had to say.

"It looks like you got banged up too," Stark said.

I snapped my head up at his last comment. Then I realized that he was indicating the welt that had no doubt formed under my eye. We didn't talk for the rest of the time. Carrying Steve took all of our concentration and strength.

Steve started to wake up just as we made it back to headquarters.

"What the heck happened?" I heard him mumble. Neither one of us answered him, partially because we were so out of breath from lugging him across the city. There had been no traffic at all and no pedestrians. That wasn't much of a surprise, but it made it easier to cross the intersections while carrying a 200 pound super soldier.

Coulson came rushing out with a medical team to help us. They got Steve on a gurney and wheeled him into the mini hospital they had set up in one of the lower levels. He disappeared inside the elevator.

"He's gonna make it, Veronica. It'll be okay," Stark said as he slung an arm around my shoulder as I broke down in sobs. I was so embarrassed. I never cried in public. But the day's events had all come crashing down on me and they felt like the weight of the world. Stark patted my shoulder. "Go get some rest," he said.

I nodded and walked blindly to my room, barely registering the SHIELD agents around me.

I couldn't shake the feeling that this was my fault.

_Because it is_.

If I hadn't been so lost in Loki's kiss, Steve may not have even needed medical attention. Was I destined to hurt everyone I cared about, no matter how hard I tried not to? I needed to sleep, to escape the real world for a little while. But escape to what?Another dream? I didn't think I could handle another one of those.

Instead of going to sleep, I went straight to my bedroom. I grabbed a bag of ice on my way and wrapped it up in a washcloth.

The welt on my face had turned into a bruise. An assortment of purples and blues were forming in a crescent shape under my right eye. Bastard.

I slapped the ice onto my face and let it sit there for a while, prolonging the time before I would have to look at my wrist.

I steeled myself as I untied the cuff. The burn had completely healed over, but there was still a pale blue mark on my wrist. It looked like the color Loki's skin had been when he had saved me that night so long ago.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red from crying and my cheeks were blotchy. I wondered where Thor was. And if he was even alive.

My questions were answered when my pager went off. I opened up the message.

_All Avengers returned safely. No casualties. Meeting at 08:00 hours. _

I let out a sigh of relief and could only marvel at the impeccable timing of the message. I may have gone into a panic attack with the worry. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was 3 am, five hours before the meeting. My eyelids drooped and I realized how tired I was. There was no putting it off. I needed sleep.

I showered quickly and went to sleep, feeling better now that everyone was safe.

But we weren't out of the storm yet. Not by a longshot.

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><p><strong>Please Review! I have the anonymous review thingie on now so even if you don't have an account you can tell me what you think! :)<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Hey yall! So I'm introducing a few new characters in this. They aren't marvel, but i thought they would fit in well with the story. They remain true to Norse mythology, however. **

**As always, let me know what you think! (I'm a little nervous about the new characters, haha)**

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><p>I didn't dream. At all. When I woke up it was seven in the morning. I felt much better physically, but mentally I was still a wreck.<p>

I was ashamed of the blue mark on my wrist. I didn't know what it was or if it had a purpose other than to expose me (I wouldn't put it past Loki), but at present it only served as a reminder of what I was so avidly trying to forget.

I pulled on a long-sleeved collared shirt over a pair of jeans. The white cloth covered the mark on my arm. I ran a brush through my hair, washed my face (avoiding the bruise under my eye), and pulled on my boots. The meeting was in an hour, but I wanted to get out and check on the others.

I staggered down the hallway. Stark was sitting at the dining table, working on a piece of machinery. "Good morning, Sunshine," he said without looking up as I walked into the room. "Sleep well?"

"As well as anyone can with an invasion hanging over their heads," I replied.

"Oh. Lighten up. This'll all blow over eventually. I really don't know what this Loki guy plans on doing if he wins… The guy seems a little unstable."

_If only you knew_.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Ummm… Thor's asleep. Banner is downstairs with Steve, and Hawkeye is in the training room."

"Steve is okay?" I managed.

"Absolutely peachy-keen. At least that's the way he put it when I asked him this morning," Stark said, rolling his eyes.

"Good. " I let out a sigh of relief. I turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water and an apple.

Forcing myself to eat was a challenge. The anxiety in my stomach was still there and I was afraid that whatever I shoved down my throat would just resurface later. But I ate anyway.

Thor came out a few minutes later. "Veronica!" he boomed. "It pleases me to see you unharmed."

"Right back at cha," I said, barely looking up. The mark on my wrist burned slightly at Thor's presence, like it knew he was there and couldn't stand it. Great. Now it was proving to be even more of a distraction. I pulled my sleeve further over my hand and went back to gnawing on my apple.

The room was silent. I could hear the clock on the wall ticking by the minutes. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Thor had grabbed another huge cup of coffee and was guzzling it down. He didn't seem to be nervous at all. I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the burning in my wrist. Tick. Tick. Tick…

Silence.

I looked up at the wall clock. Sure enough, it had stopped. I checked my watch, squinting in confusion when I realized it had stopped too. I looked over at Thor who was frozen in mid-gulp. Stark had a rather funny expression on his face as he was hunched over the piece of machinery. I looked around, sure this was another prank by Loki.

_When will this end?_

"_Soon, Love." _ A voice responded to the thoughts in my head. It was Loki. He materialized in a chair by Thor, standing over his brother with a look of utter disgust on his face. He was dressed in armor. "Look at him," he said, straightening up. He swept his cloak behind him and made his way over to sit across from me. "The Mighty Thor has now become even more like a mortal."

I just looked at him, fear growing in my stomach as it mixed with something else. Desire. "How-how did you do that?" I asked stupidly.

He smirked, snorting slightly. "Really, my dear, I would think that you would stop asking me that."

My eyes traveled to his coy lips. "Loki, just leave me alone. I- I don't want to talk to you right now."

He shook his head. "Too bad, so sad. You know, I cannot help but wonder how your friends reacted to our little… liaison when they found out. Surely, they do not approve."

I clutched my water bottle, propping my elbows on the table. I glared at him, never breaking eye contact.

He smiled again. "Ahhh, I see." He got up and moved over to behind my chair, placing his hands on the arms of my chair. I could feel his cold breath brush the back of my head. I suppressed a shudder. "So you've not told them," he whispered into my hair.

My silence served as an answer and he pulled away. "That's what I thought," he murmured. He walked past me and gazed out the window. Silence filled where the ticking of the clock should have been.

"I love you," he said suddenly. Those three words were something I had never dreamed-or hoped- he would say. They cut into me like one of my training knives. I closed my eyes in an effort to conceal my tears.

"Please. Please don't say that," I said quietly.

He turned back to me. "And why the hell not?" he asked.

I met his blue-green gaze once more. "Because… because I don't love you." The lie felt so wrong as it rolled off my tongue. One traitorous tear rolled down my cheek and I wiped it away quickly. But I knew he saw it. He could tell I was lying just like he always could.

But he didn't show it. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked towards the door. "Right, well. I'll just leave you to your meeting then. Be safe, or don't. I could really care less. The invasion will begin when I give the word. I have an army stationed fifty miles off the east coast. When I give the word, this miserable excuse for a city will be overrun and destroyed. Do try to stay out of my way."

And then he was gone. The clock on the wall began to tick again, and I heard Thor choke on his coffee. I picked the half-eaten apple up from the table and threw it in the trashcan by the sink.

"So I wonder what the new plan is gonna be," Stark said as he withdrew his hand quickly from the piece of equipment. "Damned electricity," he said, shaking his hand out. I didn't have it in me to laugh at him. I still had a half hour before the meeting, so I went into the training area and headed for the punching bag.

I plowed into it, hitting harder than I ever had in my life. After the third hit, the hinges holding it up broke and the bag went flying. I didn't realize I had yelled out until I heard the echo reverberating throughout the room. The bag landed against the wall with a thud, sliding down to the floor in a heap. Fury was going to kill me, but I didn't care.

It was 7:50, so I went back out to the common area. My tears were long gone. I was strong. I was ready to face Loki.

"Good morning, Avengers," Fury's deep voice sounded throughout the room. "As you are all aware, we had quite a rough night last night. I want to ensure this doesn't happen again. Rogers, I want a status report."

Fury turned to Steve who was sitting in a wheelchair at the table. "Sir, Loki is extremely powerful. In just one swing he knocked me out cold. I believe his god-form has enabled him to channel the power of the cube into pure brute strength."

I heard Thor suck in a breath.

"It's also strengthened his magic," Steve added. "The only thing I remember before he knocked me out was a flash of light. It must have been his power stunning me. There were a few hallucinations with it too. I remember Veronica's voice… but it wasn't anything she would have said." I tensed. "Anyway," he said shaking off whatever "feeling" he had. " The next thing I remember I was waking up in the recovery room with one heck of a headache."

Fury nodded. "Thank you, Rogers. Now. For the rest of you, we need a new strategy. I would prefer one that does not entail splitting up. We brought you together for a reason. I see no need for you to be separated."

Fury walked over to the head of the table and dropped a file folder down. He opened it and pulled out a handful of pictures. The first ones I recognized. Fury had shown them at the first briefing. But a few of the new ones caught my eye.

I saw two photographs of a man and a woman. The man looked extremely pissed, but the woman was smiling. It was an evil smile. Fury passed the picture of the man around first.

"This is Oberon. He's considered to be the king of Midgardian magic. There is little doubt that he and Loki have not been getting along. And this," Fury passed around the other picture. "Is Heliviti. Hel for short."

Stark snorted. "How very appropriate," he said, trying to contain himself. "Hell has come to earth."

"Well, quite literally, she never left. She is death. She has touched everyone on this planet at some point. Where do you think the expression "Go to Hell came from?"" Fury said. "She's quite appropriate for an ally as far as Loki is concerned. But I think Loki has underestimated this one. While Oberon will be easily contained, once Hel is out, she is not easily subdued. So, putting the pieces together, we can infer that there is great room for dissention among Loki's ranks. That is where we must strike. When they are weak."

A slow clapping from the back of the room caused everyone to turn and look. There was Loki lounging in one of the rolling chairs, his feet propped lazily on the metal table in front of him. "Good show, Nick. I must say I truly am impressed."

Hawkeye pulled an arrow from his quiver and took aim. The arrow flew through the air and stopped right in front of Loki's right eye where it vanished in a puff of smoke. "If you'll excuse me," Loki said, mocking Hawkeye. "As I was saying. Well done. You have figured out my allies. You think this will stop me? Well, friends, think again. I have an army."

"Yeah?" Stark chimed in. "And we have a Hulk. So I'll tell you what you can do with your little army. Take it and shove-"

"Thank you, Mr. Stark, that will do," Loki replied. "I did not come here to exchange vulgarities with the likes of you. But, in all fairness, I want you all to know what you are dealing with…to put all the cards on the table, so to speak."

I tensed even more, my fingernails bit into the soft flesh of my palms. Loki made eye contact with me. I know he saw the pleading look I was giving him. He smirked.

"What are you speaking of, brother," Thor said, standing up.

"Just ask your dearest Veronica," he replied. Then Loki let out a hysterical laugh and vanished from the chair.

I turned back around to see all eyes on me.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: This may be a little overdue, but I just wanted to share this with yall. The songs **_**Going Under**_** and **_**Bring me to Life**_** by Evanescence have been a great inspiration to me while writing this. They are awesome songs that (in my mind at least) go along with the story. Check em out when you have the chance! **

**Thank you Mac n' Meez for one of my quotes. You'll know which one I'm talking about :)**

**Also, thanks for the awesome reviews! I know I've said this before, but they truly do make my day when I can read your comments about this story. **

**Any hoo. Enough of my rambling. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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><p>I bit my lower lip. What had Loki done?<p>

"Veronica?" I heard Thor's voice from behind me. "What did my brother mean by that?"

I turned to the rest of the room. "Nothing," I said weakly. I tried to get up, but Thor stepped in front of me, blocking my escape route.

"Let me see your wrist," he said. I looked at him, then rolled my left sleeve up to expose the unblemished flesh beneath. "Your other wrist, Veronica." Thor said quietly.

I took a deep breath, then rolled the white linen sleeve up to my elbow. I could feel the tension in the room multiply exponentially. Thor stepped back from me, a look of betrayal written all over his face. It would have been better if he had slapped me. Anything would have been better than the look he was giving me now. "Go on and show everyone, then," he said, each word dripping with pain.

I looked him in the eye, then turned to the rest of the room.

Fury looked at me. "What is it?" he asked.

"I – I don't know. Loki gave it to me last night."

Stark was fighting the urge to laugh.

I rolled my sleeve back down. "Thor," Fury said. "Do you know what this is?"

Thor crossed his arms, stepping further away from me. "It is a mark of the Bifrost. Loki has marked her as his. It takes the form of a permanent marking on the receiver's body. In this case, a kiss." Thor looked like he wanted to vomit. "It is designed to protect the bearer from any damage inflicted by a god. It can only be given in an act of love."

"Huh. A warped, magic hickey? I find it kinda kinky," Stark chimed in. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve asked him, clearly irritated by this little issue at hand.

"Funny things are," Stark replied.

"And you find this funny…" Steve said, trailing off in disbelief.

I looked down then back up at my colleagues. "I am truly sorry," I began, but Banner cut me off.

"No. Sorry doesn't even begin to cut the ice." I grimaced inwardly at the unintentional pun. He got up and all but ran from the room. It was probably a good thing. My betrayal probably did nothing to help him keep his cool. It wasn't until he had left the room that I realized he had been quivering all over.

Hawkeye followed. Then Steve got up, shaking his head, and left too. Stark looked at me as if to say, "Sorry, but I don't wanna be around when Fury blows up at you" and went into the lab. I turned to Thor.

"Thor, I-"

"Do not speak to me," he said. "You have betrayed me. Nay, worse. You have betrayed your own race." He pushed past me, knocking me into the table. I heard a door slam and I jumped, the echo reverberating in my head, amplifying the guilt that had wound itself into my thoughts.

I looked back at Fury. "Go ahead. Yell at me. Arrest me. I could really care less. My friends hate me now anyway. I might as well be on the other side."

Fury cocked his head at me. "That won't be necessary, Parker. I think you've been suffering enough these past few weeks. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"That I was secretly in love with the enemy? Well now, that's a tough question, Nick."

"You can drop the sarcasm, Parker. I understand. You knew Loki before you came here, didn't you?"

I nodded.

"Do you love him now?"

Did I love Loki? How could I love someone that I was supposed to hate? He was selfish, evil, and slightly deranged, but did that give me an excuse not to love him? I couldn't admit it to myself.

"No," I said. There it was again. The lie.

Fury could sense the uncertainty in my voice, but he didn't press me further. "Take a break, Parker," he said, patting me on the back.

I nodded and headed straight for my bedroom. I flung myself down onto the bed and curled up under the cool sheets.

Things were finally starting to click.

Loki had the cube. Loki had two gods on his side with God knew how many soldiers to fight for him. The cube that Loki had was capable of unimaginable power.

I rolled up my sleeve to look at the mark of Loki's lips. He had given it to me to protect me. Protect me from other gods. He obviously knew that Thor wouldn't try to hurt me, so he must have been thinking about his own army. But why?

I was on the other side. I had never said one word about joining him or helping him.

My thoughts drifted to the time before I had come to SHIELD. Loki had been purchasing property a few miles West of New York. Oh God, what was the address? I tried to remember what had been on the countless file folders I had photo-copied. 395 Balken Street. Yeah. That was it. I sat up and wrote the address down.

It was located a few miles from town. Far enough to avoid any unwanted attention. That had to mean something.

I waited a few hours, hoping that things would calm down a little outside. I spent the time drawing up a plan of action.

When I emerged, everyone was outside. Even Fury had returned to drop off lunch.

I cleared my throat. "Um, guys? Can I have a second?" All eyes turned to me. "I have a plan."

Everyone looked at me. Hawkeye actually snorted. "And what makes you think we will trust you?" he said. "You've been deceiving us since you got here, Veronica. Who knows what you've known all along. What you've been keeping from us. "

"Call it a leap of faith," I said boldly.

Barton crossed his arms, studying me.

"Loki gave me this mark to protect me from the other forces he possesses. He has Oberon and Hel on his side now. He's gotta be planning something with them. Something big." He had been trying to keep me safe. Not expose me.

But then why had he told the others? I was still slightly confused why he had done that. Probably just to spite me after our argument earlier.

They were all staring at me. "So did he tell you that last night in bed?" Stark asked , a smirk still plastered on his face. God knew what images were going through his head.

"Stark. Shut up." I said. He was still smiling.

I launched into my story about Loki and the real estate he had been working on. "I don't think he was ever planning on attacking from the east. I think he has set up a bunker on the outskirts of town and is preparing his major weapon there. But I need to know. Who is willing to come with me to find out?"

"Hell. I'm in," Stark said.

I looked at him, giving him a look of gratitude. He winked at me.

I turned to Thor but he still wouldn't meet my gaze. "Thor?"

He looked down at me. "No." My heart sank a little. But there was a mission at hand.

"Rogers?" I said. "Can I count you in?"

Captain America bent over, resting his elbow on his knees. He was picking something from underneath his fingernail. It was a minute before he spoke. He looked up at me. "No. I'm not."

"Same can be said for me," Hawkeye said.

I couldn't blame them. Steve had almost died because of me and I'm sure he had put two and two together to figure out by now why it had taken me so long to get to him last night. "I understand," I said. I turned to Fury. "Fury, what do you think?"

"I'm thinking you'd better be right about this, Miss Parker. SHIELD has not been informed of any unauthorized building."

"That's because he was under the name Aaron Johnson," I reminded him. "Please. I know this will work. But going to him is definitely better than sitting here waiting for him to come to us. Even reconnaissance is better than nothing."

I don't know if it was the desperate look in my eye or my idea that convinced Fury to trust me, but whatever it was, it worked. "Fine," Fury said. "Get a team together and leave immediately."

I nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"Oh and Parker?" Fury said as I made it to the hallway that led to my bedroom. "You have one more chance."

I turned around to him and nodded, feeling grateful to even have this chance.

"Yes, Sir."

***Ominous them playing* Dun. Dun. Dun **

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	19. Chapter 19

As I made my way to my bedroom, my mind went into computer mode. I turned off all emotions, slipping into my suit. Once the leather pants and top were on, I slipped my boots on. Then I began the tedious process of placing various blades in strategic places. It looked like it was only going to be Stark and myself. I tried to convince myself that it was going to work.

I slipped my boot knife into my right boot, then turned to my cuffs. I pulled on the left one but stopped when I went to pull the right one on. The mark on my wrist was still there, a mark of Loki's love. I didn't feel right covering it up, so I left the right wrist covering off. It wasn't smart, but I did it anyway. I hadn't been known for making smart choices since moving to New York anyhow.

I strapped my pistols to my thighs, slipped on my coat and made my way out the door.

Stark was ready when I got out. "You ready, Sunshine?" he asked me as I came into the common area.

I nodded. "You don't have to help me, you know," I said. " I would understand if you felt-"

"Veronica. Let's go."

I shut my mouth and smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." he picked up the glove that held his suit in it. With the push of a button his armor would shoot from the glove and envelope his body. I had helped him develop it.

We made our way out the automatic door.

A few minutes later we were in an SUV driving out of the city. I breathed in a sigh of relief as skyscrapers turned to trees. I wondered if Loki would be there or if he would be in other places, making the final preparations for his invasion. I steeled myself.

_You don't love him._

The GPS spoke up as we neared Balken Street.

"Park there," I said, pointing to a particularly wooded area. It would hide the car.

Stark tilted his head down and looked over at me, looking through his brows. If the situation hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed. "Yes, Mom."

I unbuckled my seat belt and sat up to hook my clips for my pistols into a harness. "You ready?" I asked.

Stark looked at me. "Yup."

"Ok. I figure we infiltrate the lower levels first and make our way up. I'm not interested in getting into any fights here. So let's make this quick and quiet."

Stark looked at me. "I agree. But you've seen me in action, haven't you? Not exactly quiet."

I looked at him, taking in what he was saying. He was right. Hawkeye would have been better for a mission like this, but unfortunately, he wasn't speaking to me right now. "Just… don't suit up unless you have to." I pulled a pistol from my thigh. "Here. If you need it. Use it."

He nodded. "Aye aye, Cap'n."

I opened the door and jumped down from the SUV. Stark followed me as he got out of the driver's seat. Slowly, keeping to the trees, we made our way to a small bunker-like building. It looked to be five hundred feet long, all in red brick. It looked like a military building. Like something I would have seen on an army base.

I made my way to the last line of trees, and stood behind one. Stark remained a few rows back. I scouted the area, counting guards.

One. Two. Three… I counted a total of five. I turned back to Stark and held up five fingers. He got the message. Then I motioned for him to follow me. He took a place behind the tree to my right.

"What now?"

I let out an irritated breath. "Ummm…" My eyes landed on the no doubt electrically charged fence that skirted the perimeter. "You might want to stand back a little."

Stark looked at me, then figured out what I was about to do. "Don't have to tell me twice." He backed up to the fifth row of trees behind me.

I focused all my energy on channeling electricity towards the guards. With the right amount, I should have been able to knock the guards out. I curled my fingers in and out, like I was gathering the power radiating from the fence. With a flick of my wrist I sent five balls of electricity plummeting towards the men.

They jerked a little, then fell to the ground in a heap. I held my breath, waiting for an alarm to sound, but nothing happened. I motioned to Stark and we made our way to the window closest to us.

"Ok," I whispered, looking around and pulling a laser from my pocket to cut the glass. "Just give me a sec and we'll- "

I was cut off by the smashing of glass as Stark's elbow went through the window. I looked at him.

"What?" he said. "I've done my fair share of breaking in to places." I rolled my eyes and he opened the window. "After you, Sunshine," he said.

He gave me a leg up into the window. No one was in the room and I couldn't sense any electrical security devices. But that didn't mean they weren't there.

I helped Stark pull himself through the window. "Ok. What now?" he whispered.

"I'm going to go with you die," a woman's shrill voice trilled.

I froze and turned around. I was looking into the face of Heliviti.

Stark looked up as well. "Awww great. Just great!" he said.

Quick as a whip, I pulled my pistol from its place at my hip and fired two shots into the deranged woman's face. She blocked them effortlessly; much like Loki had blocked the arrow back at headquarters. She cackled again. "You will have to do much better than that, sweetie," she said to me. She pulled a fiery whip form her side and swatted it at me, pulling my gun from my hand.

By this time, Stark had suited up and was preparing to attack. But he was stopped by an electrical shock. One of the guards with Hel had shot a dart with a tazer tip. Stark fell to the floor in a heap. Before the guard knew what hit him, I had turned the tazer on him. The guard ran from the room, electricity snapping at his arse.

I briefly thought of Darcy and smiled inwardly. But then I had to turn my attention back to the issue at hand. Stark was down. Hel looked like she wanted to kill me and I had no pistol. All in all a very bad situation to find myself in.

"You don't seem like much," she said, circling me. "From the way Loki talked about you I would think you'd be… bigger? Tougher? I don't know… but something more."

The woman circled me again, her flaming red hair falling in bouncy curls around her face and down her back. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll be absolutely ecstatic to see the two of you!"

She clapped her hands and several guards filed into the room, holding me at gunpoint. My hands were tied. I didn't know what else to do, so I kept my mouth shut and followed where Hel led.

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><p>My chance of escape came as I was ushered down a hallway. Hel had followed the guards with Stark simply because he was too heavy in full armor to be carried by mortals. I brought my elbows up and smashed them into the faces of the two guards next to me. I could sense an electrical socket in range and pulled electricity from that, slinging it at my captors.<p>

One fell to the ground dead, while the other was knocked unconscious. I grabbed the M16 the dead guard had been carrying and took off down the hall.

Loki's men had separated Stark and me, and I had a feeling Stark was in a holding cell one level below the one I was on. That meant I needed to get to the elevator or stairs.

I rounded a corner, peeking around it. No one was in the hallway. I slipped down the hall, quickly and silently to the elevator at the end of it. I pressed the button and pressed myself against the wall, waiting to see if anyone would be in it. I clutched the M16 in my hand like it was the only thing keeping me alive.

The doors opened and I stepped into the empty elevator. When the doors opened again, I realized I had been wrong. The lower levels weren't for holding cells. Instead I saw a huge room with what I knew to be nuclear fission generators. They were channeling the energy of the cube into a nuclear bomb pack suspended high above the tanks. Scientist milled about, too engrossed in their work to notice me.

I drew in a breath. Loki was planning on bombing New York. Not just any bomb, but a nuclear bomb with the power of the cube.

I slipped back into the elevator. I had already seen what I needed to see and I wasn't in a position to do anything about it right now. My first priority had to be getting Stark out of here alive.

I tried the only other level. The top one. I was just able to make out Iron Man taking his captors down as well. I ran for him in an attempt to help him out, not even registering that Hel wasn't near him.

But I definitely remembered when her fist backhanded me out of nowhere and I landed against the wall in a daze. Stark was coming at her now, but she side stepped him and he ran right past her landing next to me. That Taser probably hadn't helped his coordination in that suit.

"Get out of here," I said, grimacing. I think I had cracked a rib. "Tell SHIELD I found a nuclear bomb with the power of the cube. That's his plan…" Everything was starting to go fuzzy. I realized I had hit my head pretty hard. Stark tried to argue, but an advancing Hel and the look I gave him stopped him kept him from arguing.

I retained consciousness long enough to see Stark punch his way out of the bunker, then everything went black.

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><p>The first thing I remember was pain. Pain in my head and pain in my chest.<p>

I cracked my eyelids, slowly, afraid to see what was in front of me. Was I dead?

Blurry images came back into focus as seconds passed. I was in a posh little office, complete with a big mahogany desk and high-backed leather rolling chair. I was chained to one of the seats in front of the desk.

"Good morning," Loki's cool voice rang from across the room. I looked over my shoulder to see him standing by the window, looking outside. He walked over to stand by the big leather chair across from me. "I must admit you caught me off guard," he said, pouring brandy from a canter on the desk. He offered me a glass, but I just looked at him.

"Loki, what are you planning to do with nuclear missiles?" I managed to choke out. My lips were parched. How long had I been out? I scanned the room for a clock, but found none.

He set the glass down on the desk, then looked up at me. He smirked. "Why should I tell you?"

He dropped down into the leather chair, steepling his fingers. He looked over the tops of them at me, smirking.

Before I could answer, the door to the office opened.

"Ah. Hello, Hel," Loki said warmly.

The woman sauntered over to Loki, her red curls bouncing around her pointed, pixie-like face. She smiled when he addressed her.

"Everything is complete, my Lord," she said to him as she walked behind his desk to stand behind his chair.

"Wonderful," he said. She placed a dainty hand on his shoulder and he placed his own slender fingers over it.

Then she did something I would never forget. She bent down and planted a kiss squarely on Loki's lips.

Everything else melted away as I realized Loki was returning it.

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><p><strong>AN: Just bear with me! It will get better! Please Review!<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Just a little warning. Slightly suggestive scene coming up. Nothing explicit.**

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><p>All I could do as I sat there was focus on Loki's lips. How many times had he kissed me like that?<p>

The kiss felt like it lasted forever, but it was only a few seconds. It was enough.

When Loki pulled away, he looked me straight in the eyes as if to say 'what are you going to do about it?'

I looked down.

I barely registered the guards that came in to take me away, barely registered when I stood up, barely registered my feet propelling me forward. I had been used. It was simple as that.

The guards took me to what I thought was a holding cell. But when the door opened, it revealed a small apartment. I didn't argue, especially since I was being held at gunpoint. One of the guards jabbed the end of his gun into my back and I stepped inside.

I was still staring into space, unable to take in what was in front of me. My head hurt.

I sat down on the couch. There were no lights, at least electrically powered ones. I tapped one on and noticed a small wire extending from it to the outside. It must have been solar powered because I couldn't feel any current emanating from it. Shit.

I quickly searched over my body, looking for a blade, but I found none. Even my boot knife was gone. I buried my face in my hands, resting my elbows on my knees. A clock on the wall read six p.m.

How could I have been so stupid? I had let Loki close to me only to be hurt. I didn't cry. I was too stunned.

There was a small sink on the right side of the room. I grabbed a cup and filled it to the brim with water from the tap. I slowly sipped it, not wanting to push myself after being unconscious for so long. But my thirst soon got the better of me and I ended up chugging the water down.

I wondered if Stark had been able to get back to the others. I hoped he had. That would mean SHIELD agents would be on their way and I wouldn't have to stay here much longer.

My headache gradually subsided and I began to feel better. My ribs still hurt, but at least my head didn't hurt anymore. I stepped over to the window, trying to get a view of where I was located in the building.

I sucked in a breath as I heard the door open behind me. A cool breeze told me who it was before I even turned around.

"Are you here to kill me?" I asked quietly.

"We need to talk," Loki's voice rang from the doorway.

I turned to face him. "About what?" I said, fighting to control my anger. "Your Hell-god whore?"

A small tug at the corner of his lips indicated he was fighting a smile. That infuriated me even more. "Well forget it, Loki. I'm done." He sauntered over to me and grabbed me by the shoulders roughly. My ribs protested as he shook me.

"Don't say that," he said.

"You just kissed some other woman right in front of me, Loki! What am I supposed to say?"

He smiled at me this time. "Oh. This is rich indeed."

I glared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"You are jealous. You saw me with Hel and something snapped, didn't it. Bet that burns a bit, doesn't it." I tried to cut him off.

"What are you-"

"Just admit it. It burns. Because you love me."

I glared at him. "I have feelings for you," I said quickly. "But I don't love you. I could never trust you enough to love you."

He let me go and turned to look out the window. For a moment it seemed the god of mischief was at a loss for words. "I love you," he said to me. His voice was barely a whisper.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I hauled off and hit him across the face. "Obviously not."

His hand shot up to the bruise that was forming over his left eye. "As absurd as that statement sounds, Veronica, it's nothing compared to the idea that another woman could ever mean anything to me. Not after I met you."

I didn't know what to think. I couldn't trust him. Not anymore.

I smacked him again and kicked him in the chest, fighting back angry tears. He fell onto the couch and I stood over him. I punched him in the face once, but he blocked my next blow, grabbing my hand.

Long, cold fingers snaked around my wrist and he pulled me down into this lap. My ribs hurt as I plopped down.

I tensed up at his closeness. I could feel his cold breath brush my cheek. His eyes met mine.

"You're crying," he said, letting go of me. His voice was tender now.

"No," I said feebly, wiping tears from the corner of my eyes.

"Now I've caused you pain," he said. His fingers, icy cold before, were warm now as they brushed a fallen tear from my cheek.

"You think?" I asked him.

He studied me for a moment. "I am sorry."

I snorted, not sure if I should believe him. His gaze travelled to my wrist. His fingers traced the mark of his lips there. I looked down at him. His blue-green gaze pleaded with me to forgive him.

I brought a hand to his cheek, resting it against his warm flesh.

His lips were on mine in a matter of seconds.

This kiss wasn't like the others. It was hungry and passionate. After another few seconds, I gave in and kissed him back.

He picked me up and carried me to another room. I didn't realize it was a bedroom until I felt my back press against the mattress of the bed. "Just admit you love me," he whispered against my lips.

"Never," I replied. And then I was sinking into blissful oblivion.

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><p>I opened my eyes. Loki lay to my right, fast asleep. I sat up, pulling the sheets around my bare body. I got up quickly, pulling on my extremely rumpled clothes. I was pulling on my boots when he opened his eyes.<p>

"And where do you think you are going?" he asked, sitting up as well. I looked back at him.

"Away." I was angry at myself. This man had just openly rejected me by kissing another woman. How had I reacted? By letting him sleep with me. I was really beginning to worry about my sanity.

"Why?"

"I have to get back to my job," I said. He stood up, pulling on his clothes as I walked out of the room.

"Hmm," he said coming up behind me. "Well, that's going to be a problem for you seeing as you are still my prisoner." I turned back to face him.

"I'm hungry," I said. It was true. I hadn't eaten in what felt like forever. But it got his mind off of my escape.

"I'll have something brought up, but I need to get back to _my_ work. Do try to stay put. You'll be far safer here than back at Avenger's tower."

He kissed me softly on my forehead and left.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. I stepped against the wall, hiding from view as the door opened.

When the guard came in, I backhanded him and he fell to his knees.

I didn't stay around long enough to see if he was unconscious. Snagging a piece of toast I made a run for it.

I guess no one was counting on me escaping because I had a clear shot to the exit. I made my way out of the bunker and was soon under cover of the trees.

I hoped Stark hadn't taken the car back to headquarters. He had been suited up after all and probably hadn't even thought about the car when he was escaping.

Sure enough, the big black SUV was where we had left it yesterday. I busted in the window with my elbow, using the same technique Stark had on the window in the bunker, and thrust open the door. By now I could hear pursuers. I slipped into the car, yanked the cords under the steering wheel down, and hotwired the ignition.

I was gone before anyone could see me, making my way back to Avenger's tower.

**Review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**An: Ok. After much deliberation between an AP English essay and this, I decided to write another chapter. Meh. This is more fun! Plus I'm about to get into the final battle for this story and I absolutely can't wait to work on that. **

**Another thing. Heliviti, according to Norse mythology is the daughter of Loki. I twerped her character only slightly to accommodate the little argument between Loki and Veronica. Hope that's cool with yall!**

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><p>I looked in my rearview mirror repeatedly as I drove down the road. No one was following me, but I still let out a sigh of relief as the city came into view. The speedometer inched closer to one hundred miles per hour. I was really pushing the whole speed thing with this vehicle. Not because of any cops or anything (if I got pulled over all it would take would be a flash of my badge and I'd be excused), but because the frame of the car was literally starting to shake.<p>

I slowed down as the trees turned to skyscrapers.

My thoughts dwelled on last night. On Loki and the way he had kissed me. I banged the back of my head against the back of the seat gently, trying to clear him from my thoughts. Why couldn't he have just stayed with Hel. It would have made things so much simpler. Yeah. It woulda hurt like hell, but at least then I would have a reason to hate him. Now he had all but branded me as his own. _Well, he had done that too_, I thought, thinking of the burn on my wrist.

I really hoped Stark had made it out alive. I pulled up in front of headquarters and jumped out of the car. I all but ran into the building, flashing my badge at the front desk and making my way to the elevator. I needed to find Fury.

Or anyone for that matter. I realized that my sudden arrival would probably look really suspicious, but the Avengers would just have to trust me. I was no spy.

I made it to the common room and found Rogers sitting at the table. He looked up when he heard me come in. his expression turned from surprised to sour in a matter of seconds. I stopped in the doorway, breathing hard from the sprint.

"Where's Fury?" I gasped out. "And Stark?" I added.

Rogers looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Stark's not with you?"

My stomach dropped. "No. I saw him. I saw him get out. I… told him to get back here…" I trailed off, wondering if I had imagined Iron Man smashing through the wall of Loki's bunker. "Oh God," I exclaimed.

A chuckle from behind me made me turn around. Stark was right there, safe and sound. I turned back to Rogers. "What the hell, Steve?" I nearly yelled.

Steve was laughing too. "It was Tony's idea," he said. "We decided to give you a little scare."

"Not. Funny." I said, but I was fighting back laughter as well. The events of the past twenty four hours were catching up with me and I had to let the tension out somehow. I laughed through my tears, smacking Tony playfully in the arm.

"Hey, now," he said, laughing as he blocked my blow.

After the laughter subsided, I got serious again. "Stark did you get the information back here?"

He nodded. "Yup, sweetheart. Fury and Thor are working on it as we speak. We're getting a team together to invade the bunker and hopefully stop this mess before it ever happens."

I turned to Steve. "So you trust me now?"

He eyed me. " Stark said you put up a pretty good fight back there. I think we can afford to cut you a little slack."

I smiled. "Awww. Really, Tony? You gave me a compliment?"

He pursed his lips and squinted his eyes at me, making an extremely comical expression. "Maybe," was all he said. I smiled at him. Who knew the guy I had singled out as not liking the moment I walked in the door would end up being my favorite?

I walked over to the refrigerator, pulling out a slice of cold pizza. I was famished.

"So what's the plan?" I asked quietly.

"Basically what Stark said. We have a meeting tonight."

I was worried that we might not have that long. "It can't be sooner?" I asked. "Loki was pretty clear that the attack would be soon. Don't you think we should get it ready?"

Steve shook his head. "Thor seems to think Loki will wait a little while longer."

"Thor didn't see what I saw, Steve. Loki has nuclear missiles ready to be launched at the push of a button. When he pushes said button, we are all screwed."

Stark nodded. I could tell he was itching to get this over with as well, though not for the same reasons as me.

"Where are the others?" I wondered out loud.

"Banner's in his room and Hawkeye's in the training area," Steve said. "You might wanna try to make nice with Hawkeye first, though. Banner took your affair with Loki pretty hard."

" He nearly hulked up once in the middle of breakfast when he saw me come back but not you, but we were able to get a sedative in him before that happened." Stark chimed in.

"Yeeah. Hawkeye's definitely going to be first then." i said.

I finished my pizza and turned to head towards the training area.

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><p>Hawkeye was shooting arrows into a target with a photograph taped to it. It took me a minute to realize it was the same picture that was on my badge.<p>

Brilliant. We were off to a great start and I hadn't even opened my mouth.

"Hawkeye?" I said.

He turned at the sound of my voice, then glanced back at the target he had constructed. He grinned at me sheepishly. "Like the target?"

"Charming," I said bluntly. I walked over to him. "Look. I know what I did was wrong. I am truly sorry. But I know what we have to do. Stark believes me, Rogers believes me. Can we just forgive and forget?"

He placed his bow on the ground, studying me for a minute. "You know, I can't lie. I had a pretty good feeling about you and Loki," he said after a while.

My mind flashed back to the uncomfortable feelings I had gotten from Hawkeye in the beginning. How he seemed to know a little too much for my liking. "How?"

"I'm pretty good friends with Clark from your old job. He used to complain about a Mr. Johnson and how there was no way he had a chance with you as long as Johnson was around. It didn't take much to figure out who Loki's alias. I mean how unoriginal is Johnson for a god?"

I grimaced. So Clark had liked me. Why couldn't I have picked him? Safe, stable Clark. No. I had to go with Mr. I'm- going-to-take-over-the-world.

Hawkeye laughed at my facial expression. "I forgive you." He patted me on the shoulder. "Care to practice?"

I laughed. "One round," I said as I picked up a pistol from the weapons table.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I was still thinking about Loki.

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><p>Thor still wasn't talking to me but, after much groveling, Banner had caved. Well, at least most of the team liked me again.<p>

I sat in the meeting room, listening to Fury drone on about strategy and other plans.

This wasn't going to beat Loki. In fact, I wasn't sure what was going to beat Loki. As for myself, I planned on occupying myself with Hel. I didn't care what it took, but she was going down.

The phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" popped into my mind and I suppressed a laugh. It was so true. Hel was as good as dead after what she had done to me.

The plan was simple. Take out the bombs before they could take us out. Of course, Fury had to have a diagram and notes and a bunch of other stuff, but that was pretty much it.

"Avengers," he said. "Good Lu-"

He was cut off by a blast that shook the entire room.

"What the hell was that?" Stark exclaimed.

I pointed out the window, coughing up asbestos that had rained down from the ceiling. But mesothelioma was the least of my worries.

Outside the window, standing atop a hovercraft, was Loki.

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	22. Chapter 22

I looked out the window at the man that stood before me. He was dressed in armor and a green cape draped from his shoulders. I started getting flashbacks of the night before and had to look away. Thor was watching me carefully, probably looking for some sign of hesitation. I kept my face as smooth as glass.

"What now?" I said quietly.

Steve spoke up first. "Get ready as quickly as possible. We have a battle on our hands. "

I was completely dressed and ready. I had known full well that Loki's exact point of attack would be when we were at our weakest. I hadn't been prepared to give him the chance, so I had been prepared from the moment I had arrived.

Slowly, I walked up to the glass as everyone else left the room. I cocked my head to the left and placed my left hand against the cool glass. I waved at him, giving him a condescending aren't-you-so-cute look. Then I turned my back and followed the others, knowing full well I had probably pissed him off.

In mere minutes, we everyone was ready to go. We raced from the building and slipped out onto the streets. The military was on its way, but I wasn't sure how long it would take them to get here.

We were the first line of defense.

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><p>We were stationed behind a building. Loki was pretty much blowing stuff up at random. People were running around everywhere, though Fury had issued a mandatory evacuation the minute Loki showed up. Idiots. If I had had a choice I wouldn't have been anywhere near here.<p>

Further down the street, several other machines were shooting lasers into the buildings and cars. I looked over at Thor. He was tense and ready for battle. Stark was lounging against the side of the building, and Banner looked about ready to throw up.

Banner. We needed to get him mad. Otherwise he was just some wimpy guy that wouldn't stand a chance against one of Loki's guards. "Hey. Uh… Tony?" I said quietly. He looked up at me and stepped over to my side. "Can you manage to seriously piss Banner off?" I asked in his ear.

He looked at me and grinned. "I can't believe you even have to ask me that. Of course I can piss Banner off." I smiled.

"Good." I looked back at the hovercraft that was now beginning to get even closer to our hiding spot. "Cause we're gonna need him."

"Leave it to me, Sunshine."

Steve turned to the group. "Ok, guys. Thor, Hawkeye, and BlackLite need to get over to that hover craft." He pointed to the one farthest down the road. It was also the highest in altitude. "I just got word from Fury that that hovercraft contains the nuclear missiles. If you can get to it and shut it down, it will definitely even the odds as far as this battle is concerned. By this time the army had shown up and was setting up a blockade. Sandbags, barbed wire, the works.

"Give em hell," I said, cracking my knuckles and stepping forward. I punched Steve lightly on the arm as a good bye. Thor and Hawkeye followed me. We slipped past the blockade and down the street, keeping to the cover of the buildings.

We were half way to the first hovercraft when a blast knocked us down. All i knew was that I was flying through the air one minute and the next I was on my back in the road. Rubble fell around us and a cloud of dust blinded me. I couldn't see Thor or Hawkeye anywhere. I coughed.

"Go, Veronica!" I heard Thor yell. As the dust cleared I could see him farther behind me fighting off an extremely tall man that could only be Oberon. He looked just as surly as he had in his picture. Hawkeye was nowhere to be seen. "Get out of here. NOW!" Thor bellowed as he parried a jab from Oberon's sword.

I was on my feet and running down the road as fast as my feet would carry me. It was all up to me now. I grabbed a pistol from my hip and turned the safety off, ready to shoot at anyone or anything that came my way.

I sprinted, dodging blasts and shooting some of Loki's men that were unfortunate enough to be on the ground. I was sure there were more inside those… things.

Even after countless hours of strenuous training, my legs felt like they were about to give out when I reached the last hovercraft. Without breaking my stride I looked up. It was at least fifteen feet in the air.

Impossible to reach, really,… for someone that hadn't been through Thor's obstacle courses that is. Using the momentum I had built up from running, I leaped from the sidewalk and latched onto a bar that was holding up a traffic light. I swung myself up and perched momentarily on the narrow bar. The ship was a mere five feet from my grasp now. Crouching low, I readied myself for the leap.

My legs uncoiled and I propelled myself through the air effortlessly. I grabbed onto a ledge that was on the ship. There were several areas to latch onto and I pulled myself up to the very top of the dark metaled ship. My booted feet landed softly on the flat top of the ship.

I paused, not taking the time to admire my skills, but to look back to check on the others. I could see a big green figure crashing around down the street now almost exactly where Thor had been fighting Oberon. I smiled to myself. If we survived the day I would have to ask Tony what hehad said to make Bruce mad.

I turned back around, and located a small hatch near the far corner of the ship. I ran to it, unsteady at first because the ship was still moving, and launched myself at it. in a matter of seconds I had my fingers under the latch and was tearing it up.

It was only a ventilation system, but it would have to do. Good thing Thor hadn't been the one to make it this far. There's no way he would have been able to fit in the tiny space.

I slipped down into the vent, grimacing at the idea of crawling through it to lord knew where. I crawled on my hands and knees for what felt like forever until I came upon a light at the end of the tunnel. I picked up the pace and found the air flow vent. I kicked it open and slipped down from it, landing in a deserted hallway.

I looked left then right. I closed my eyes, trying to hone in on the bombs. The cube's energy had been just as prominent- if not more so- than regular electrical currents. This should be easy as long as Hel or Loki didn't make any sudden appearances.

The signal was stronger to my left, so I turned and ran down the hall, my pistol at the ready.

I kept moving, afraid that a security camera would give me away, but nothing ever happened. Once again, Loki had underestimated the Avengers. He probably hadn't expected any of us to make into his precious ship without his notice.

I followed the hum of electricity, moving closer to the hangar located in the belly of the ship. I peeked around the corner to see a few scientists still milling around. The room didn't look much different than the one I had seen back at the bunker. I brought my head back around and took a deep breath. I had counted two bombs.

At the meeting, Fury had told us that all it would take to disarm them would be a sudden jolt of electrical energy. Theoretically it would fry the fission chamber, causing the particles to fall from suspension. If it had been any other energy source besides the cube, particles falling from suspension would mean certain detonation. But I thanked my lucky stars that this wasn't the case. The cube was special.

But how to get the scientists out of the room? I looked down at my gun. No good. Someone would take me out before I ever got to the bombs.

My elbow hit a box on the wall and numbness shot up and down my arm. "Shit," I mumbled, massaging the spot where I had hit it. It really wasn't funny when you hit your funny bone.

Then I looked down at the box. It was an emergency evacuation signal. I smiled at my sheer luck.

I broke the glass and pressed the red button, triggering a set of alarms.

Just as I had expected, the scientists looked up from their work for a split second and made a run for the door. Even the guards made a run for it.

As the last man left, I stepped out from my hiding place. Slowly, carefully, I made my way to the long metal capsules that held the antimatter.

I placed my hands on the first bomb. Just as my hand came into the contact with the metal I heard someone step out of the shadows behind me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hel said.

I turned around. "Or what? Are you going to kill me?" I looked at her and smiled. She knew I wasn't afraid of her.

"If you come quietly I'll make it quick," she said, taking a step towards me.

I pulled out both my pistols and unloaded them into her gut. They had no more effect on her than if I had poked her. In fact, they entered her body and it rippled as if her stomach were made of water. Or Lava…

She looked down where I had shot her, then back up at me. Her eyes burned like hot coals and her pale skin grew gray and cracked. "The slow way then," she growled. And then she lunged at me.

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><p><strong>Pretty Please Review! <strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Thanks for the wonderful reviews! Please keep 'em comin'!**

**Just a warning. This gets a little violent.**

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><p>I leaped out of the way as Hel lunged at me, slipping my pistols into my holsters and grabbing a knife instead. As her momentum carried her past me, I plunged the knife deep into her back.<p>

If it did anything to her it only made her angry. She straightened up, the knife still in between her shoulder blades. "You're as good as dead, you know," she said to me. She paused a moment, taking in a deep breath. When she exhaled a burst of fire shot from her open mouth.

I threw my right arm up to shield my face, expecting to be badly burned, to take my last breath, something. But it didn't happen. I looked back up to see a thin blue force field shooting from my wrist. It stopped the fire, extinguishing the flames before they could reach me at all. After another moment, I realized it was coming from Loki's mark. Hel realized it too.

She pulled out her fiery whip and slung it at me.

"Funny," I said, dodging the weapon. "I could say the same about you." She slung the whip at me again and I shot my hand up, blocking it. The cord wrapped around the leather cuff of my wrist. Yep. These cuffs had been a good idea.

Even more frustrated, she pulled ferociously on her end of the whip. I went down, crashing to the floor. She was upon me in a matter of seconds, kicking me in the back and pinning me down. No matter how hard I struggled I couldn't throw her weight off of me.

She cackled. "I wonder how Loki will like you when your pretty face is all scarred?" she asked. Her voice was a predatorial growl. "I'm sure he'll come back to me once he sees you after I'm through."

My eyes went wide as she pulled my blade from her back and brought it close to my face. I struggled and kicked, but it was no use. The blade came closer.

Thinking fast, my mind searched for a source of electricity that I could use to at least get Hel off of me. As if out of nowhere, I felt the familiar tug of a current. It was only a vague wisp of energy, but it was enough. As the blade dug into my right cheek I gathered what energy I could and channeled it directly into Hel. She flew off of me, landing against a wall. I jumped to my feet, hoping she wouldn't get back up.

But even that was too much to hope for. She picked herself up, laughing as she did. I tried to wipe the blood away from the cut on my cheek. "No wonder he likes you so much," she said through her giggles. That was really all I could describe her laugh as. "I bet you really give him some fun."

I clenched my hands up. She was only trying to get me to attack her. To make me angry and reckless.

"But, you know, he will leave you eventually. You can't expect the god of mischief to hang around the likes of you forever," she said softly, walking towards me again. In a burst of speed she rammed into me, knocking me on the ground.

She picked me up by the collar of my leather jacket and hit me across the face, causing my body to fly across the room. Small pricks of light danced across my vision. I tasted hot, coppery blood in my mouth.

She hit me repeatedly. "Did you really think you'd be able to hold his interest forever?" she asked me, hitting me across the face again. "That you would live happily ever after as his queen?" She kicked me in the face. "No. you're too weak to be his queen," she said. "You simply couldn't handle the annihilation of your pitiful race. That's the difference between you and me, hun." Her hand shot to my throat and she lifted me into the air as I struggled to stay conscious. "You're the weak one. I'm the strong one. That's the way it's always going to be." I vaguely noticed a grotesque blade growing from her hand. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll make sure he knows you died fighting. Not that he'll really care."

"Go to hell," I said. I spit a combination of blood and saliva into her eyes, extinguishing the burning coals that had formed where her pupils should have been. She dropped me, shrieking.

"My eyes! What did you do? I can't see!"

I gasped for breath. "What- was that about- being weak?" I rasped out. I pulled my old switch blade from my belt and slashed it across her throat. Instead of blood, ashes fell from the wound. She shrieked one more time before she fell to the ground, turning into a pile of dust.

I drew in a breath. My chest was killing me and I was pretty sure she had dislocated one of my shoulders. Slowly, I reloaded my pistols. I wiped blood from my face again.

I turned my attention back to the bombs. I limped over to the platform that held the nearest bomb and placed my hands against the metal once more. With as much energy as I could muster, I channeled a volt of electricity into the heart of the bomb. A low humming sounded as the bomb disengaged.

I let out a sigh of relief. One down, one to go.

I cringed at the pain in my shoulder as I jumped down from the platform. If I could just get to this next bomb I could go back to headquarters and get medical attention.

_Come on, Veronica. Just one more bomb. _I coaxed myself along. _You can do this. _

But then I realized that even if I could stop this bomb, there was no way I could stand a jump down from the hovercraft. Not with my shoulder in this condition.

I inhaled, exhaled. I was so very tired.

I collapsed to the ground. But before I blacked out, I caught the familiar scent of cologne, a slick dark head, and long, cold fingers.

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	24. Chapter 24

I was floating. At least that's what it felt like. All pain was gone. Not a care in the world.

Then I was being pulled from bliss. Cold fingers trailed across my cheek, bringing me back to reality. "Come on, Love," Loki's voice penetrated through the blackness. "Wake up."

Slowly, I began to wake up. I opened my eyes.

Loki's figure stood over me, blurred and out of focus. I tried to gather my bearings. I was in a bed in a white room that could only be a hospital room. Sure enough I looked down to see an I.V. trailing from the inner crease of my elbow. My other arm was in a sling.

"Loki?" I breathed.

"I'm here," he said, taking my free hand in his cold one. At his touch all doubts fell away. I knew I was safe.

"H- Hel?" I managed.

"Is dead, thanks to you," he said slightly sarcastically. But I knew he was pleased. "But I would have had to do what you did eventually anyway. Her death was merely premature in my plans."

Sharply, suddenly, he came back into focus. I looked into his blue-green gaze. He was so beautiful…

But then I remembered where I was and what I had been doing before I blacked out. "Where are we?" I asked, more coherent now.

"Safe," was all he said.

"Loki, Where are we," I pressed.

He looked down at me as if he were considering what to tell me.

"You are in the hospital wing of the same ship you infiltrated a few hours ago," he said quietly. "Your shoulder was dislocated. Badly. But I had a doctor set it and I cast a spell to accelerate the healing. You'll be as good as new in a few hours."

I looked back up at him. "And the others? What about the city!"

His eyes flashed at my mentioning of the others. Was it jealousy? "Are alive and well. They are causing me quite a bit of a problem down there you'll be pleased to know."

I smiled slightly. "The bombs?"

"Are disarmed. For the time being. My men are working on strict orders to get them back up."

My heart sank a little when he said that last part. So I hadn't succeeded at all. I had only temporarily set him back. At least I had managed to get rid of Hel.

I took in a deep breath, pleased to find my ribs didn't hurt anymore. Whatever spell Loki had used on my shoulder had affected my ribs as well. "Go back to sleep, Veronica."

I nodded, merely feigning sleep. I heard him turn around and leave the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

My eyes snapped open. I had to get out of here. I looked down at my arm. I maneuvered my shoulder around slightly, satisfied that it was healed well enough to move. I pulled the sling off and tried to sit up but something was restraining me. Great.

Canvas strips stretched across my abdomen, holding me down. Well at least Loki had learned one thing.

I looked over to a chair. My clothes were folded neatly in it. The leather jacket was draped across the back. I needed a blade.

I reached over to the chair, slipping my hand into the pocket of my jacket. Sure enough, the switchblade I had used to kill Hel was in it. My fingers closed around the base of the blade and I lifted it back to the bed.

I set to work severing the ties that held me to the bed. In a matter of minutes I was free. I got up quickly, squashing the dizziness that threatened to overtake me. I yanked the I.V. from my arm and grabbed my clothes. Swiftly and silently, I pulled on my clothing. Slipping the leather jacket on, I headed to the window.

I peeked out of the opening to catch a glimpse of the fight below me. Loki had gone back out to the battle and I could see his ridiculous helmet bobbing around. Hulk was still going at it and so was Thor. Oberon was fighting with Iron Man. Still no Hawkeye, but he may have resorted to sniping.

I needed to get down there. After my first break-in there was no way I was going to get past the guards. I looked down at the street below me. It was a twenty-foot drop. I would have to manage.

I took my pistol and slipped a silencer from my belt onto the end of it. Taking aim at the glass, I shot three times. The bullets merely lodged in the window. It was bulletproof.

Right. Who would be stupid enough to build a warship without bulletproof glass?

I stepped back and shot into the glass in different strategic points. I looked over my shoulder, half-expecting someone to charge through the door.

When no one did, I kicked through the pane, sending the thick glass hurtling to the streets below. I snagged the sheets from the bed and did something I had only seen in lame movies. I made a rope from the fabric. At least it would get me a little lower to the ground before I jumped.

Steeling my nerves, I secured the bed sheet and scaled down the edge of the ship.

I was ten feet from the ground now. My shoulder protested but I ignored it.

I took a deep breath, then let go of the end of the make-shift rope.

There were a few seconds of free-fall and then I hit the ground hard. I bent my knees, absorbing the impact and tucked into a roll. I landed neatly on my feet again and took off running towards the battle.

I needed to get back to Steve. I had to tell him that I had failed and we needed a new plan.

I dodged a blast, and had to duck for cover a couple of times as a barrage of bullets sounded over my head. But other than that I was having a grand old time.

I made slipped into an alley, taking a shortcut, and came out behind the barricade the army had put up. I saw the familiar red white and blue of Steve's armor flashing around.

"Steve!" I yelled, running to him. He turned around at the sound of my voice.

"BlackLite! Did you get the bombs down?"

I stopped as I came up to him, gasping for breath. "Yeah. But I failed, Steve. I got in a fight with Hel and blacked out. That's why I've been gone so long. She's dead, but the bombs are being fixed as we speak. I didn't know what else to do so I came back to you before the bombs could detonate."

He looked at me. "You have stitches under your right eye," he said.

My hand shot to my cheek. Sure enough a pair of butterfly stitches were over the cut that Hel had given me. "Um Yeah. I woke up in a hospital room. Loki saved me. He said my shoulder had been dislocated and he had healed it. Steve, I swear I was doing my job."

He looked at me with a funny look in his eye. Was it pity? But then the warrior was back and he was giving me orders to help out the army. Let him figure out the next course of action.

I nodded and pulled out my pistols, taking off into the battle.

I met up with Iron Man and helped him take Loki's men out. I could make out Thor's figure knocking Oberon's down and smashing his hammer into Oberon's head. Good. That just left Loki.

Loki's end would mean the end of all this. I had known it all along, but I had suppressed the idea, locking it away in the back of my mind.

A loud, metallic screech sounded from the larger ship down the road. I looked up to see Loki rising from somewhere inside the ship along with the two bombs on a platform.

"Tony?" I said. "Can you get me up there? I know what I need to do."

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	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Inspiration for this chapter brought to you by "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele. ;) Okay. I'm done being silly now. But seriously. It's a good song for this chapter.**

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><p>Stark looked at me, then followed my gaze to where Loki stood. "You sure about this, Sunshine?"<p>

I nodded. "It's the only way." I didn't have to say a word. Stark knew what I was planning.

"Sure thing." He kicked one of Loki's men out of the way and ran at me. I felt the metal of his suit latch around my waist and then we were flying through the air.

He dodged blasts and almost dropped me a couple of times. I held on for dear life. It struck me that Steve would probably be mad at me for not consulting him first, but I didn't dwell on it.

As we neared the hovercraft a particularly nasty blast shook Tony off course and his suit's jetpacks began to fail. Just a little farther and he could throw me onto the ledge of the ship. He lunged forward in midair and slung me at the ship before he went spiraling out of control and landed on the pavement twenty feet below.

I grabbed onto the edge, hoisting myself up and over it. Loki's back was to me. He was preparing to press the launch button when I grabbed a knife from my cuff and slung it at him. It caught the sleeve of his armor, stopping his hand in its tracks. He looked down at it and smirked.

"Feeling better, are we, Veronica?" he said without looking back at me. Just the sight of him made my knees go weak with what I was about to do. He turned his blue-green gaze to me. "I would say so."

"Loki. Please. Just stop. You're making a grave mistake."

He turned to me and let out a crazed laugh. "How? By purging this world of weakness?" he stepped closer to me. "Come now, Veronica. You know what I am doing makes sense. You say this is madness, but there be a method to it," he said, quoting Hamlet once again.

He turned back to the launch pad. "Loki!" I yelled. I stepped forward and brought my knife to his back. He stiffened, then let out another laugh.

"Would you really do that, Love?" he whispered. I could barely make his voice out above the noise. "After all we have been through?"

I faltered and he took the chance to turn around and knock the blade from my hand. He twisted my wrist at a painful angle. I let out a yelp as my upper body jerked to the side he had twisted my wrist to. "I have offered you so much," he said. "The least you could do is stay out of my way." He applied more pressure to my wrist. I let out a scream. I couldn't help it.

"Agghhh!"

"Do try to understand my side of things, My Love. It will get you far in my new world."

He released his grip on my arm and I stepped towards him, punching him squarely in the jaw. "Stop talking and FIGHT ME!" I yelled.

He smirked. "I will not hurt you, Veronica."

I hit him again. I had to hate him. I had to do my job.

Either he decided to fight back or he was just appeasing me.

He blocked my third blow and slung me to the side. I sprang back up and blocked his counterattack, ducking as his fist came at me. This was good. I needed things to be clean cut. When we were fighting he was the enemy.

We collided again and I cut his left cheek with a tiny blade. He swiped at me with his staff, but I jumped over it and landed in a tuck and roll behind him. I was on my feet in a matter of seconds, ready to come at him again.

He made to hit me in the gut, but faked me out and brought his staff crashing down on my head. I fell to the ground in a daze and he walked over to the launch pad.

This time he pressed the button. I could feel the energy of the bombs start up. On the panel next to them, there was a digital timer, counting down one minute until launch. I was too late.

Then an idea hit me. It was terrible, but it was what I had to do. I stood up, blinking stars out of my eyes.

I ran at Loki, throwing myself into his arms.

I looked into his eyes. His beautiful blue-green eyes, knowing this would be the last time I would do so.

I planted a hungry kiss on his lips. This was the first time I had ever instigated a kiss from him. He had always been the one to kiss me.

He was completely taken aback by my actions. I fought back tears as I gathered up all of the energy from the bombs into a ball.

I pulled away and brought my hand to his chest, just over his heart. And then I uttered the three words I had sworn I never would say to him.

"I love you," I said quietly. His eyes lit up as he realized what I had said.

Then I channeled the energy from the bombs directly into his heart. His body jerked violently before he dropped to the ground.

I choked back a sob. I looked over at the bombs. The panel indicated that they were disengaged. The energy that had resided in them had stopped Loki's heart.

I crouched next to him, checking his pulse. Nothing. At least nothing I could detect. I brushed a stray hair from his pale face.

"Veronica?" I heard a voice from behind me. It was Thor.

I turned around, not even trying to hide my tear-stained face. "It's done," I said bitterly. Thor nodded and then opened his arms, holding them out to me. I ran into them, letting him comfort me for at least a little while. He had finally forgiven me.

I should have been happy. The bombs were gone. The Avengers had won. But an empty space filled my chest where Loki had resided.

Thor led me down from the hovercraft. Tony was just starting to recover from the fall he had suffered. The armor had protected him from any crucial damage. Hawkeye and the others were safe too.

I didn't realize- and wouldn't until later- that Loki's heart was still beating and he was taking in shallow breaths as i walked away.

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><p><em>Two Weeks Later<em>

I walked down the halls of SHIELD headquarters. A bouquet of white flowers was clutched in one hand while a small piece of cream colored paper was in the other. I was dressed in blue jeans and a white collared shirt. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

I entered the elevator that would take me to the hospital level.

I flashed my badge at the nurse station and made my way to the hospital room at the very end of the hall.

As I cracked the door open, I realized the room was dark. Like a morgue.

I walked over to the bedside and sat down next to it. I clicked on the light by the bed and looked down at Loki. He was peaceful. In sleep he wasn't the deranged psychopath hell-bent on taking over the world. He was the man I loved.

The heart monitor on the wall indicated a healthy, though slower than average, heart rate.

I looked into his face, remembering SHIELD agents picking him up and bringing him back to headquarters as a favor to Steve. I knew that Steve had only done it for my and Thor's benefit.

Against all odds, the doctors at SHIELD had saved Loki. However, he had been in a coma since I had sent that burst of energy through him. I set the flowers I had brought on the bedside table and laid the note next to it. It was a quote from Hamlet:

"_Doubt thou the stars are fire;_

_Doubt that the sun doth move;_

_Doubt truth to be a liar;_

_But never doubt I love."_

I found the quote sadly appropriate. After all, he had left me notes in my sleep before. It was only suiting that I should return the favor.

I stroked his face gently, wishing to see his blue-green gaze once more. The heart monitor was the only source of noise in the room.

"SHIELD's sending me out to California for a while," I said quietly. "I'll be able to do all sorts of research." It was true. I was supposed to leave in an hour, but I couldn't bring myself to leave Loki without telling him I was leaving. Even if he wasn't conscious.

I reached down for his hand, holding it in both of mine. I kissed it.

"Be safe," I said standing up. I bent over and kissed his forehead delicately. "They'll take care of you."

I turned away and walked out the door. Tony was waiting for me outside the hospital wing. He was to go with me out to California. "You ready, Sunshine?" he asked me as he held the door open for me.

I gave him a soft smile. "Yeah. I'm ready."

I would move out to California and I would be the best astrophysicist I could be.

Loki had chosen his destiny, now it was time for me to follow mine.

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**And there will be another chapter… so don't get mad at me yet ;)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Okay. Just a heads up. This is the last chapter for **_**Chased by Destiny**_**. I am switching from first-person POV to Third just to make things simpler. **

**I have grown quite attached as a writer to each of these characters and I am hoping yall have too : ) So. This brings me to another question. Would anyone be interested in a sequel? Lemme know in your reviews!**

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><p><em>One Year Later<em>

A nurse inched into the dark hospital room. She shivered as she looked at the man who lay in the bed by the window. She shook her head. She couldn't understand why SHIELD had decided to keep one of the most dangerous beings known to man alive in a hospital room.

But she did her job without asking questions.

She checked the pulse of the man in the bed. Alive. As usual. She turned to her charts and documented the time and the man's blood pressure.

The heart rate monitor picked up in speed. The nurse looked up from her paper work to turn her attention back to the dark haired man in the bed.

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><p><em>Loki was under water. It wasn't like the crystal clear waters of Asgard that he had swam in as a boy. This water was dark. And cold. <em>

_ Air. He needed air. He propelled himself towards what could only be the surface. He stretched his arms over his head and pulled himself up. He was almost there…_

Loki was aware of another presence in the room. All he knew was it wasn't… her. Keeping his eyes closed, he searched the room for any form of power. None.

This woman was a mortal. Not even an Avenger.

He could hear a faint ping, ping, ping in the background. It accelerated as he became more aware of his surroundings. He realized it was a heart rate monitor and he was in a hospital room. He furrowed his brows in confusion. Where was he?

He felt the mortal's small hand check his pulse.

His eyes snapped open. When the woman saw he was awake she let out a small shriek. She tried to pull her hand away but he grabbed it. He thrust his hand at her throat, and she gasped. He smirked.

He tried to open his mouth to talk, but no sound came out. Damn, how long had he been unconscious?

The woman's eyes were wide with fear as her air supply slowly diminished. She clawed at his hands feebly, but he was too strong. He didn't want to kill her, though. Might as well knock her out.

He slung her to the ground and she skidded to a halt against the wall under the window.

Sitting up in bed, he turned his attention to a cream-colored piece of paper propped against a vase with dried flowers in it. He allowed himself a small smile as he opened it.

_Veronica._

Loki stood up. He was so stiff. So weak. He found his clothes in a cupboard. Half-dressed, he stepped over to the sink and splashed cold water onto his face. He dried his face on a towel. As he brought the towel from his face he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.

He was in dire need of a haircut and he had several newer scars along his right cheek. He buttoned up his shirt, and stopped when he noticed a new scar on his chest.

Curious, he pulled his shirt farther open.

A hand-print-shaped scar sat right over his heart. It had the appearance of a burn. Images from long ago emerged from the fog of memories in his head.

The sound of the nurse stirring brought him from his thoughts, and he turned on his heel. He walked towards the door. He summoned as much power as he could and turned himself invisible to mortals.

He walked freely down the white corridor. He remembered this place now.

He entered the elevator that would lead him to the meeting place of the Avengers. He stumbled through the doors as they opened into the hallway that would lead him to the Avengers. And, with any luck, Veronica.

But when the doors opened, Veronica was nowhere in sight. He passed the mortal called Steve as he made his way to Veronica's bedroom.

He was confused to see no one there.

He turned around to go back out to the common area. Slowly, he pulled a chair from across the table that the mortal called Steve was sitting. He smirked at the look of alarm on the mortal's face when the chair in front of him appeared to move by itself. Loki sat down and lowered his invisibility.

Steve pulled back in alarm when he saw Loki. "What do you want?" he asked. "You're supposed to be in a coma."

Loki cleared his throat. His voice was a mere croak. "Well. I am awake now, Captain Rogers. I am looking for Veronica."

Steve studied him for a minute. "Why?" He was suspicious and Loki found it amusing.

He didn't answer.

"Forget it, Loki," Steve said. "Now if you know what's good for you you'll leave here and never return."

Loki smirked again. "I don't think so," he said quietly. "Not until I have found Veronica."

And with that, Loki leaped from his chair, over the table, and knocked Steve out of his chair.

Steve tried to sit up, but Loki brought a booted foot to his chest. "Now," Loki said, brandishing a knife. "One more time. Where. Is. Veronica?"

**Okay. Yes, this is a cliffhanger. But I am leaving the stage set for more to come! Let me know if you want me to continue. If you do, there will be a sequel to this appearing very soon! (Not sure what the title is yet but it will be under Thor archives) Just let me know.**

**Thanks for sticking with the story. See you soon!**

**~Sirius ~**


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